


Born to be Wild

by Ultra



Series: Born to be Wild [1]
Category: Firefly
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Children, Crew as Family, Developing Relationship, Emotional, F/M, Family, Family Drama, Father-Son Relationship, Friends to Lovers, Gen, Mother-Son Relationship, Mystery, Unexpected Visitors
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-04-22
Updated: 2009-04-22
Packaged: 2019-08-06 13:52:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 34,532
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16388933
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ultra/pseuds/Ultra
Summary: A new arrival aboard Serenity makes two of the crew members re-evaluate their lives and consider a possible connection between themselves. [AU, post-Ariel and pre-BDM]





	1. Chapter 1

“Well, that plan went well.” Malcolm Reynolds grinned from his position on the bed in the Medical Bay.

“You were shot in the arm, Jayne has several knife wounds, and Zoe will most likely still be suffering dizzy spells for a week yet,” Simon rattled off as he finished off patching up the would near the Captain’s shoulder. “And this, you think, is the result of a plan that went well?” he checked.

“Nobody died.” Jayne shrugged from his spot, leaned back against the counter as he checked none of his dressings were coming loose.

“In that respect it is definitely one of the Captain’s better plans,” Zoe agreed, as she gingerly stood up from her seated position, feeling a little woozy as she’d expected to.

“All this for a few boxes of fruit.” Simon shook his head. “To think just a couple of centuries ago these things were so easily accessible.”

“Times change, Doc,” Mal reminded him. “Not a thing in the ‘verse stays the same too long, and that ain’t no bad thing, when you’re in the state of us here on Serenity.”

“Out in the black, the faster things turn bad, the faster you know they’ll turn good too.” His second nodded, regretting the swift head movement seconds later.

At that moment a crash erupted from a way down the corridor and four pairs of panicked eyes looked towards the door as Kaylee hammered down the stairs and appeared a little breathless.

“Captain!” she gasped in a lungful of air. “Wash just got a wave from a ship, a big one, lookin’ none to friendly neither.” She shook her head. “They say they got somethin’ for us.”

“Ah, this will be that turn to bad you spoke of,” Simon said mostly to himself, as Mal lifted himself off the medical table and got to his feet, pressed the bandage firmly onto his arm where the bullet wound still resided.

“They say what this somethin’ might be, little Kaylee?” he asked her and she shook her head.

“No, just that its something they owe, a favour, kind of,” she explained. “We tried ignoring them but they keep on tailing us, and Wash ain’t so sure he can get us away even with his fancy flying skills if... well, since the favour they think they owe is to Jayne...”

“Who in the hell would be doin’ me favours?” the mercenary asked with a thoughtful look, or as thoughtful as one so dumb could manage. “Ain’t never done nobody any favours, only disservice.”

“That’s kinda why we were afraid to stop and let them board,” Kaylee admitted, as Zoe hid a smile and Mal did the same.

Anyone Jayne had ever worked with or for, practically every man he’d known, he’d screwed over is some way or other. Any ‘favour’ they owed him was likely to be the unpleasant kind, and Mal wasn’t so keen to be taking on packages or passengers if that were the case.

“You go get on the nearest comm, tell Wash I’ll be up at the bridge just as soon as I get everything fixed down here,” he told Kaylee who went off to do just that with a dutiful ‘Yes, Cap’n’ and a smile.

“What needs fixin’ here?” Jayne asked, and Mal ignored him, turning instead to Simon.

“Doc, I need you to get your things together, your essentials, and your sister,” he explained. “I’m gonna go talk to Inara, get her to take you two away a while.”

“Where would you have us go, and why?” Simon asked curiously. “Do you think these people might be more dangerous to River or myself? Surely, if they’ve come for Jayne...”

“Don’t matter much what they come for, Doc.” Mal shook his head. “Type of persons Jayne used to associate with, well, they ain’t nice folk,” he explained. “Chances are even if they were here to do some kind of a favour for him, they’d spare not a thought for wanted fugitives.”

“Chances are good they know about you.” Zoe nodded in agreement, as Simon’s eyes shifted from the Captain to her. “Probably best you lie low 'til they’re gone.”

Simon looked uncertain for a moment, but the grave and serious looks on the three who stared at him now made him agree quickly enough. He couldn’t risk anybody taking River away again, and if Mal thought these old friends of Jayne might be a danger to them then he must listen. After all, the merc himself was hardly trustworthy, those he used to associate with and had double-crossed were likely to have even less morals and be even thirstier for the money they could make from anything aboard Serenity.

* * *

“Not now, Simon, not now!” River argued, arms flailing like an over active windmill as her brother tried to urge her into the shuttle. “Now is not the time, the time is at hand, and... I don’t want to go now!” she wailed.

“Sweetheart, look at me,” Inara tried to calm the girl who refused to be helped by her brother. “River, we have to go, but it’s only for a short while. We’ll be back very soon,” she promised her, holding onto the young girls hands and trying to reassure her.

“The time, the time is now,” she repeated, still sounding agitated, but calmer on the whole.

“The time is for you to get in your damn shuttle and fly away, little girl,” said Jayne as he strode through the ship, passed the entrance to the shuttle, and headed towards the bridge.

“He will know it’s you!” River called after him, and he frowned as he turned back and stared at her.

The wicked smirk on the young girl's face was unbefitting one so young and presumably innocent, and yet this was as calm, lucid, and even happy she’d looked since she’d been told she must board the shuttle and leave for a few hours.

“Your girl's name does not hide the boy, and he will know it’s you,” she repeated with a grin, talking drivel as far as Jayne could make out, and yet she looked so serious about it.

“Yeah, whatever you say.” He waved away her words with his hand, before turning back and continuing walking.

“He will know it’s him.” River sighed, as she looked up at Inara, then glanced towards the shuttle entrance. “Shall we go for a spin now?” she asked easily, ironically leading Inara by the hand into her own shuttle now.

Sharing a bemused smile, the Companion and the doctor followed the young girl as she requested, and the shuttle was soon detached from Serenity, much to Mal’s relief.

* * *

“Hey, Mal.” Wash grinned overly much as the Captain arrived on the bridge. “We’re just having a ton of fun up here with our new friends, the psychos that want to kill us,” he said, sarcasm evident in every word, as he attempted to keep Serenity on an even keel and far enough away from those that would board.

Without a word, Mal stepped up to the controls and pushed a button that would connect him to the mystery ship.

“This is Captain Malcolm Reynolds, state your business here,” he said simply as the connection crackled and the face of a man not dissimilar to Jayne appeared on the screen.

“Like we told your damn pilot, Cap’n, we just wanna deliver somethin’,” he said, looking tired and harried, clearly either uneasy or bored, possibly both, with the situation at hand. “Owe your man, Jayne Cobb, a favour, and this is us payin’ it back.”

“Exactly what kind of favour are you owing to my merc?” Mal was eager to know. “Seems to me as a rule that his type of people, and pardon me for saying this.” He smirked. “Seems to me they ain’t to be trusted.”

“Ain’t asking nobody to trust us, Cap’n.” The man shook his head, scratching his bearded chin, and supposedly wondering what he was to do with this delivery if the crew of the Serenity refused to take it. “Fact of it is, we got this box here entrusted to us for safe carriage to Cobb, and somehow we will get it to you. It’s more than my life’s worth not to deliver,” he said sincerely, and Mal was a good enough reader of men to know this brute of a man may actually fear for his life.

It must be a hell of a package he was bringing aboard, but bring it aboard he must by the seem of things. Despite telling the nameless man of the strange ship just that, did not mean Captain Reynolds wouldn’t be armed and ready when Jayne’s old buddy and his crew boarded. In this life, Mal had found, it always paid to be prepared for anything.

* * *

Mal stood facing the cargo bay doors, flanked by Zoe and Jayne, the three of them armed and ready to take down anyone who would double cross them. Kaylee pressed the button to open the doors, with Shepherd Book at her side, also holding a gun. There was no question that he would use it if he had to and be a good shot, even if he couldn’t shoot to kill.

As the doors opened, the crew of the Serenity were met by just three people, the leader that Mal had spoken to on the comm and two more, a man and woman, both looking like people you wouldn’t want to mess with. These two brought in a medium-sized box on wheels, just looking like any other odd sort of a crate.

“Wuh de ma! Barney!” Jayne looked stunned by the sight of him, but not at all afraid as he moved forward and hugged the stranger, much to the shock of his crew.

“Er, pardon me, gentleman,” Mal said, with a look that was half-way between stunned and amused. “Hugging ain’t altogether somethin’ we expect Jayne to partake in, ‘specially not with other fellas.” He shook his head.

“I think it’s awful sweet.” Kaylee smiled widely, but then no other reaction would ever be expected from her.

“Mal, this is Barney!” Jayne grinned like a little kid at Christmas. “Well, damn it, I ain’t seen him since I left my home the ’verse knows how many years back,” he declared, as the Captain and his second shared a look.

“Seems genuine enough, sir.” Zoe nodded once. “Though I’m wonderin’ what this might be doin’ here,” she said, pointing the end of her gun towards the crate that sat between Barney’s two stooges.

“This here, could be anythin’!” he declared, as he gestured to the cargo he had brought. “All I know is it’s the darndest coincidence.” He shook his head. “Me and my boys here were passing through a postal stop, and some crazy idiot is standing there yellin’ about how important it is this crate gets to Jayne Cobb aboard the Serenity,” he explained. “I figured it was time old Barney paid a visit to his old buddy, and did a little favour too.” He smiled, showing the fact that half his teeth had long ago parted company with his face that seemed too young for such loss.

“A mystery package from a crazy idiot,” said Zoe as Mal looked her way. “Yeah, this is going to be fun,” she dead-panned, as Jayne moved towards the box and circled it as if he were a lion and this were prey.

“You sure you don’t know what’s in here?” he asked Barney who firmly shook his head.

“Not a gorram idea,” he declared with a chuckle. “It’s not your birthday is it, Cobb?” he checked and Jayne looked unimpressed by the laughter his friend seemed to think appropriate to this odd situation.

A moment later, the sound of a comm device crackling caught the attention of all those in the silent cargo bay, and the woman Barney had brought aboard moved to speak with him.

“Seems we have reason to be getting movin’ pretty fast,” he said, looking between Mal and Jayne as he moved towards the door with his two crew members. “I’m sure you know how it is Cap’n Reynolds,” he said, and Mal nodded once.

Of course he understood, someone was probably on their tail for crimes committed all for the very reason of staying alive and keeping on flying. Mal knew only too well how that worked, what bothered him though was the niggling voice in the back of his mind, the one he was fairly certain Zoe could hear too. That little voice told the two of them to be wary, to be careful about this box, because just maybe Jayne’s old friend was so quick to leave because of that rather than anything else.

* * *

It was almost an hour since the strangers that had boarded Serenity with a mysterious cargo had left and gone back to their own ship, flying away into the deep black, mostly likely never to be seen or heard of again by the Firefly’s own crew. 

It had been decided that until the consents of the crate was known, Inara and the Tams should not be called back, in fact Wash had informed them of Mal’s instruction to do the very opposite of coming back. He wanted them as far away as possible, not there getting in the way or doing anything crazy in the case of River, until the odd situation had been resolved.

Standing around the crate much like they had the cargo bay doors before Jayne’s old acquaintance and his lackeys had arrived, Mal, Zoe, Jayne, and Book were all armed, as well as Wash who had let auto-pilot take the strain in favour of discovering what good or bad might exist within the confines of the large wooden box.

“Anybody else feel like a kid at Christmas?” he said, with giddiness that seemed to be only partially faked.

“At least at Christmas you knew the gifts would be good.” Kaylee swallowed hard. “This could be a whole world of bad in this here thing,” she said uneasily, glad to be standing behind her Captain and Zoe - they would let no harm come to her.

“Had enough of this talkin’ now.” Jayne shook his head. “Gorram it, Mal, can we just open the damn box already?” he asked as he approached the crate with a steel bar just perfect for the job in his hands, his gun still attached to him on the strap that held it to his body.

“Fine,” Mal conceded. “Open your damn box, but do it slow,” he warned the merc who nodded once before beginning the task.

A couple of sharp pulls was all it took before the wooden crate fell away and Jayne jumped back, hitting the ground and rolling over, his gun ready in his hands and aimed at the contents of the box... which was another box.

“Well, would you look at that,” said Mal, almost disappointed not to get to shoot something.

“What is this? Like some giant game of Pass the Parcel?” Wash checked.

“No.” Kaylee shook her head, craning to see over Mal’s shoulder. “Cap’n, isn’t this like the box Simon had when he boarded? The one that River was hidin’ in?” she asked, daring to creep a little closer, around her Captain and towards the mysterious box from within a box.

“You mean somebody sent me a woman in a box?” Jayne asked with a raised eyebrow and a near-evil grin that spread too fast across his face.

“Surely nobody would send a person against their will in such a state?” Shepherd Book said worriedly, though evidently he was conveniently forgetting just how cruel mankind could be.

“Could be somebody was forced in there,” said Zoe as she considered it. “Could be somebody put themselves in there, to get themselves where they’re goin’ without being noticed.”

“Like your old buddy Tracey,” said Wash quietly, with a nod that agreed with his wife’s idea.

“Well, whoever or whatever the hell it is,” said Mal, preparing his gun to fire. “Speaking for my ownself, I ain’t too happy with standin’ around waitin’ for it to just come bustin’ out an kill us all,” he said, striding towards he crate, and expertly blowing the digital lock off the front with a shot from his gun.

The lid popped open too fast and snapped back on it’s hinges, not quite breaking as the crew of the Serenity hesitantly approached. Nothing could have prepared the crew for what they saw as they gathered around the box and peered inside.

As the white smoke and steam cleared, dark hair was visible on the head of a small figure who, as he awoke and stared up at the strangers, showed the brightest of blue eyes ever seen.

“Tyen shiao duh...?” Mal started, but was not permitted to finish his sentence as the little boy bounced out of his place.

He was on his feet, half crouched to the ground like a cat, wearing nothing but little shorts, as his eyes darted around the cargo bay and took in every detail. Before anybody else hardly had a chance to react, the child had singled out the member of the crew he knew he was safest with. To the utter shock of everyone, the child threw himself at the legs of Jayne Cobb, holding on tight, as if his very life depended on it.

“Huh,” was all Mal could find to say, and the looks on the faces of the other crew members suggested they felt the same way.

“Well, that’s just downright unsettlin’,” Jayne declared, and nobody was going to disagree with that sentiment at all!


	2. Chapter 2

“Tsai boo shr!” Wash gasped as the small boy clamped tight onto Jayne’s leg and refused to let go.

“Jayne, you better get to tellin’ me just what in the ‘verse is goin’ on here,” Mal said dangerously as he eyed his merc and the child attached to his leg.

“I wish I knew Mal,” said Jayne, looking almost afraid, an odd look for a man such as himself. “I ain’t got no kids, I-,”

“I’m not so sure you would be aware that you had,” the Shepherd told him with a look. “Those that fornicate outside of wedlock have a habit of leaving a trail behind them,” he said pointedly and Jayne narrowed his eyes.

“He ain’t my kid, Preacher,” he said firmly, trying unsuccessfully to prise the child off his leg without harming the brat, after all it’s not like he’d done anything wrong as such, he perhaps hadn’t even wanted to be brought here.

“Not wanting to get my head blown off,” said Wash carefully, with his hands half-way raised in surrender before he even began, “ut how would you know if you fathered a child? You do like your womenfolk, Jayne.” He shrugged, since the whole crew knew how true that statement was.

Jayne Cobb had had more than the average man’s share of liaisons on many a planet or moon. Mal dreaded to think how many children his muscle man might have throughout the verse.

“Well, then would you mind tellin’ us why this little one thinks he needs to cling onto to you like some kind of barnacle?!” the Captain asked.

“And exactly how many more cryo pods should we be expecting, Jayne?” Zoe added, knowing just as her Captain did that their crewmate could’ve produced no end of offspring all over the ‘verse by now.

“I don’t even know where this ‘un came from!” Jayne yelled. “How many women you think I been with who knows about this fancy science stuff? Not a one, I’ll tell ya,” he declared, though at the same time he was wracking his brains, trying to remember if his statement were true.

He got awful drunk on planet leave or when the crew stopped off at any party or a bar. The women he went with were willing and able, and though he had to pay for it at times, mostly he did alright on his charms, such as they were.

Fact of it was he could’ve had a scientist or a genius whilst he was under the influence, and he wouldn’t have a clue. If she had the body and the moves, it was all he ever remembered in the morning – if he even remembered that. Names and details were fuzzy or moreover non existent, and as a matter of course he didn’t share any information that would make him identifiable later, just in case.

“I do believe that no woman with smarts would sleep with him,” said Wash in a low voice to his wife who couldn’t help but agree.

“Damn it, kid, will you get your greasy little hands off me?” Jayne said angrily, kicking out with his leg til the little boy was forced to let go, for fear of flying half way across the cargo bay if he did not.

“Jayne!” Kaylee snapped at him, as the little boy stood back and stared with obvious tears forming in his eyes.

“What’d I do now?” the merc said in protest to her tone and the look she gave him.

“Chur ni-duh, hwun dan,” the mechanic muttered in his general direction as she crouched down in from of the boy. “Hey sweetie,” she said gently with a smile. “You wanna come with me and find somethin’ good to eat?”

The nameless and apparently silent boy turned his eyes to Jayne who would barely look at him now.

“Jayne won’t mind none if you come with me,” Kaylee explained, since the look on the boy’s face suggested that was what bothered him. “I’m your Aunt Kaylee,” she said with a grin, as the boy seemed happy to believe and go with her, taking the hand she offered and allowing himself to be led away.

To the very last moment, he kept his eyes on Jayne, practically wrenching his own head clean off as he forced his neck too much just to see him a little longer. Heaven only knew what the connection was between the sweet little child that had escaped from the cryo pod and the great oaf of a man that stood now in the cargo bay, trying to wrap his had around the concept that he may just have a child of his own. If anybody was going to get to the bottom of this matter it was Captain Reynolds.

“Okay, we’re gonna start this whole thing again from the beginning,” he said slowly, gesturing at Jayne with his gun that the merc was all too well aware could be aimed at his head and on purpose yet. “Now that boy, gotta be eight years of age if he’s a day,” he said with a shake of his head. “And since I known you no more than six years together, leaves me wonderin’ where you was when that child was getting made.”

“Eight?” Jayne frowned, scratching his stubbly chin. “Well, Mal that don’t make any sense”

“I wasn’t thinking any part of this did yet,” Zoe commented as all eyes were on Jayne, awaiting some kind of explanation, though none in particular came for a good long while.

“Mal, you know where I was ’fore I came here.,” He shook his head eventually, slowly moving to sit down on a pile of crates behind himself. “Sharing a bunk, working like a dog for that idiot... barely got any time for anythin’, got even less cash.”

“Get to the point, Jayne, 'cause my trigger fingers gettin’ mighty bored and this story’s gettin’ damn tiresome,” the Captain complained, and Jayne soon elaborated, albeit with somewhat of an angry tone.

“I wasn’t gettin’ any back then!” he declared. “Livin’ like your damn preacher man, more or less,” he gestured towards Book who would rather not have been dragged into this right now. “No time for it, no cash for it, and didn’t hardly go nowhere decent enough womenfolk were,” he explained.

Mal frowned as he turned to look at Zoe and she nodded her head, proving that as far as she could tell Jayne was telling the truth. The two of them were pretty good at spotting liars, they’d had plenty of practise at it, and besides, it takes one to know one with these kinds of things. Top class criminals that they were, forced Mal and his crew to be mighty fine liars, and yet he was pretty sure he’d know it if one of his crew was trying to double-cross him.

“Right then.” Mal nodded once, striding away.

“Er, Captain?” the Shepherd called after him. “May I ask where you’re going?”

“Can’t get answers from Daddy Dearest, gonna give it a try with the boy wonder,” Mal explained to the preacher, though he looked quite annoyed that he’d been asked to.

“Might I suggest,” Shepherd Book went on, “that you leave the weapon here?” he said gently. “Don’t want to scare the boy any more than he already is, do you?” he smiled and Mal looked at the oversized gun that rested in his hand and over his shoulder.

With a sigh, he tossed the thing across to Zoe who easily caught it and went to put it and her own weapon away, since it seemed they wouldn’t be needed right now. Wash went with her, trying to hide his laughter, it seemed, as he passed by Jayne. It had to be said, it was quite amusing, the idea of Jayne being a father, that and kind of scary too!�Alone in the Cargo Bay, Shepherd Book stared hard at Jayne who wriggled uncomfortably under said gaze.

“Don’t be givin’ me those looks o’ hell and damnation, preacher!” he said, scrambling to his feet and pointing an angry finger. “I ain’t got no kid! He ain’t mine!”

“Who are you trying to convince, Jayne?” Book smiled slightly. “Me? God? Or perhaps, just yourself?” he said, as he too turned and walked up the staircase and away.

Left by himself, with nothing but his own scrambled thoughts for company, Jayne still couldn’t make any sense of what he was being told. It seemed as though the child from the box knew him, that it could indeed be his kid, and yet he hadn’t lied before. Back then he hardly if ever got himself a decent lay, and certainly not with anyone so fancy as to know about cryo pods and the like.

Before he arrived on Serenity, well, life wasn’t exactly easy now but it was damn hard back then. Nobody cared, not even a little bit, and whilst Jayne could live with that before, he’d sooner not be turned out of his little family-type thing here on the Firefly class ship he’d so long called home. Seemed that might just happen, if Mal found out this kid was some kind of danger, even if he knew for sure the brat really did belong to Jayne. Weren’t exactly a place for a little one like that, not on a ship with a crew that went smuggling and pilfering all the live long day!

Jayne would be sent back to a life of filth and destitution, getting less than his share, cohabiting with men worse than he himself had ever been. The merc remembered all the things he’d done for money, and most of the worse had been long before Mal and Zoe brought him aboard the Serenity. Hell, at one point he’d even made money out of...

One broken thought, one memory from way back, and suddenly Jayne’s eyes were wide as a full moon. His head shot up to look around his empty surroundings, and everything got just a little clearer. He understood now where this kid could’ve come from, but he didn’t exactly love the idea of explaining it to the crew.

* * *

“Cap’n, go easy,” Kaylee urged him, as he came at the little boy looking overly fierce, sending the poor child cowering behind the mechanics legs.

“I am easy,” said Mal, sounding more annoyed than anything else.

He didn’t much know how to deal with children, hadn’t had to since he was one himself and that innocent time was long gone and forgotten. The nearest he had to little folk on his ship were Kaylee and River, and thems two reminded him all too often that they were full-grown womenfolk with the things they said and occasionally things they wore. Little boys running round the galley wasn’t something Captain Reynolds had ever had to deal with before, and he wasn’t exactly enjoying it now!

“C’mon now, nyen ching-duh,” he said, reaching out for the boy who seemed less than impressed. “Just wanna talk to ya, ain’t a one of us wants to do you no harm.”

“He don’t talk, Cap’n.” Kaylee shook her head. “I mean, I been tryin’ since we came through here. He understands and all, he nods and shakes his head, and he smiled right sweet at me.” She grinned as she explained to Mal. “But I’m thinkin’ maybe he just don’t talk.”

“Well, that ain’t hardly helpful to me, little Kaylee,” her Captain told her with a sigh, wondering what they were ever supposed to do with this child.

Mal almost wished Inara were here, he figured with all her training and such, she’d likely be most able to handle children. Then there was Simon, for all he was, Mal had an idea he might be okay talking to little folk, after all he’d been trained in doctoring, had to know how to look after the little ones just at the same as everybody else.

As crazy as it sounded in his own head, Mal had an idea even River might be better in this situation than he was. She did a good line in morbid and creepifying, but she understood what folk were thinking and feeling better than anyone he ever did encounter in the whole of the ’verse. She could probably have the boy in full conversation via her mind or somethin’ before the day was done, and yet, Mal had an idea he’d be lucky if he even got the child to look at him in that time.

A crackle at the comm caught the Captain’s attention and he moved to answer it.

“Mal, Inara just sent a wave, wanting to come back aboard since River’s getting a little crazy stuck in the shuttle,” Wash explained. “Since all we have to deal with is one little boy I let them re-attach.”

“Shi,” Mal replied before turning back to Kaylee and her small charge, who she was trying to encourage out from behind her.

“C’mon now, sweetie, Captain doesn’t mean you no harm,” she told the boy. “He just seems all big and brutish,” she explained, shooting a playful grin at Mal, “but honest as the Suns shine, he wouldn’t ever hurt you, not at all,” she explained.

At that, the boy peered out around Kaylee’s left leg, looking as if he might be coming around to the idea of co-operating. Mal smiled at the progress Kaylee had made and was just about to speak to the child when he bolted.

“Ta ma de,” Mal cursed as he ran off after the kid, with Kaylee in hot pursuit.

Jayne, who had been coming to tell the Captain where he thought the kid might have appeared from, soon joined the chase, as the boy flew past him, and Mal and Kaylee followed at a rate of knots.

The child came to an abrupt halt just a few feet before the door to Inara’s shuttle, almost causing a pile up of bodies behind him as Mal, Kaylee, and Jayne came to a similarly sudden stop one behind the other.

As the shuttle door opened, and Inara stepped out, the boy suddenly dived in and disappeared from view.

“What in the worlds...?” the Companion gasped as the child shot by her, but her attention was soon caught more by the happenings within her shuttle, than those that had come running towards it.

Mal moved to see what Inara could see, and Kaylee soon followed suit along with Jayne. Their mouths all dropped open one after the other as they spotted the child now clinging onto River just as he had with Jayne.

“Well, would you look at that?” Kaylee half-smiled at the image of the child clinging to River, and the girl hugging him close, one hand stroking his hair.

“Er, what is going on?” Simon asked, looking entirely bemused as his eyes flitted between the crew members beyond the door, his sister, and the child she held against her.

“Simon.” River smiled at him. “He’s here, my special boy.” She grinned, looking down at the child. “I’ve been waiting for you.”


	3. Chapter 3

Not a one amongst the crew of the Serenity could’ve been more stunned than they currently were by the sight of River, standing just beyond the door to Inara’s shuttle, with a small boy hugging her legs, a wide smile on his face, the like of which not one of the others had yet managed to get out of him, not even Kaylee.

“When you say _your_ boy...?” Mal was the first to question River’s words, though honestly he wished he hadn’t.

“Well, she doesn’t mean...” Simon began only for his sister to cut him off mid thought.

“She does, Simon,” said River firmly. “ _My_ boy.” She smiled down at the child, still petting his hair. “My son”

“No.” The doctor shook his head, mouth dropping open wide. “There’s simply no way, River, he can’t-”

“Jayne?” Mal looked at his merc with beyond anger in his eyes, though he should’ve known better than to think so badly of his crew-mate, after all, it wasn’t as if River was known for talking sense.

“Jayne?” Simon echoed, not understanding what that great oaf had to do with his confused sister thinking some random child aboard the ship was her son when he was evidently eight years old at least, and her just eighteen.

“I told you he would come, and that he would know you.” River smiled, taking hold of the little boys hand and walking out of the shuttle towards Jayne, who backed-up against the railings behind him. “Our boy has come home to us.” She grinned, looking almost crazed, which wasn’t exactly unusual for Miss Tam, but it never bothered Jayne quite as much as it did right now.

What it sounded as if she were accusing him of was beyond any kind of evil he’d ever done, and was of course complete fiction, yet she was young and for the most part innocent, whilst he was known, even amongst those he might call friends or family, as a violent man who liked the company of womenfolk almost a little too much.

“You and... you touched my sister?” Simon asked, words almost not forming as anger rose within him.

He came hurtling out of the shuttle at Jayne, but Mal put an arm across the doctor’s chest and pushed him back, muttering at him in Chinese to calm the hell down.

“You’re crazier than she is!” Jayne yelled across to Simon. “I wouldn’t touch your damn moonbrain sister if you paid me!” he declared. “And even if I had, wouldn’t’ve made us no kid this size unless I was the kind of monster that... well, I ain’t!” he said angrily, hurt at the fact the accusation had even been hinted at.

“Ain’t nobody here thinks that, Jayne,” said Mal firmly. “Seems to me we got some confusion here though, and that I want figured out mighty fast,” he said, looking first at the little boy and then to River.

“It doesn’t fit, does it, Captain?” The girl smiled at him. “Your logic does not permit it. The calculations come up with numbers that don’t tally, and no amount of bullets will force them to their places.”

“See, now, this ain’t no time for riddles, little one,” said Mal, only just keeping his anger and frustration in check. “Gotta explain this in words we all can make sense of, if’n you know what’s going on here.”

“She doesn’t.” Simon shook his head, moving towards his sister and being permitted to do so now since the violence from before seemed now to have dissipated. “She’s just confused,” he said, reaching an arm around her shoulders, but his sister pushed him away.

“No!” she yelled, as the boy clung tighter to her, almost afraid of the situation he found himself in, only knowing he was safe whilst he was by her side. “You think you know better? Because of the needles and pins, but you don’t!” she said, pointing a finger at her brother, her eyes wild. “You don’t know, don’t understand, don’t want to.” She shook her head. “And we don’t want to understand you,” she said, taking the little boys hand and suddenly running off down the gangway, boots clanging against the metal as she and the boy disappeared from sight.

“Can’t make no sense out of any of this.” Kaylee shook her head.

“I’m not sure I’m following well myself,” Inara replied. “Mal, where did you find this child?” she asked, stepping up beside the Captain and following his line of sight to where River and the boy had just disappeared to.

“Didn’t exactly find him, so much as he found us,” he admitted, scratching the back of his head thoughtfully. “Reckon the best thing to do is get everyone together, talk this through, see if we can’t figure out where we go from here.”

“You think River really knows who he is? Where he came from?” Kaylee asked as the Captain walked past her towards the bridge from which he planned to fetch Wash and Zoe. “I mean, he can’t really be her son, but-”

“Can’t say for sure, meimei.” Mal shook his head. “But don’t you worry none, we’ll figure this out. Ain’t no harm gonna come to that boy, so long as he don’t bring no harm to us.” He half-smiled, before heading off to the bridge.

* * *

“Hang on a second.” Wash shook his head. “Sweet little River thinks she’s mother to Jayne’s child?” he checked, eyes wide at the very idea of it. “Poor kid must be more long-suh than we thought.”

“She’s getting better.” Simon snapped. “Or she was.” He shook his head, from his place across the table. “I just can’t understand why she thinks this child is her son, it’s impossible.”

“Impossible that it’s my kid either,” Jayne declared from his own seat, “but the damn thing clung to me like a ruttin’ limpet.”

“Neither part exactly makes any sense.” Zoe shook her head.

“Is there any part that does?” Kaylee ventured as she tried to wrap her head around all of this.

The Captain walked around the table filled with his crew and tried to make sense of this situation himself. The child clearly thought he belonged to Jayne and to River and whilst it wasn’t impossible for them to have made a child, it would not be eight years old at least. Besides which, someone would’ve noticed the two of them fornicating on the ship. Mal shuddered at the very idea of his oaf of a merc and the sweet little crazy sister of the doctor getting that close, and could see now why Simon was ready to pummel Jayne into the ground when it seemed that was what happened.

As the chatter around the dining table grew to an awful din, Mal called for silence, since all the crew were achieving was giving him a headache and stopping him from concentrating.

“Maybe if we get back in contact with Jayne’s friend Barney,” Wash suggested suddenly. “If we at least knew where the box came from-”

“Doubtful we’d be able to track him now.” Mal shook his head. “I get the idea they like to stay off radar much like we do.”

“’Sides he said he didn’t know what was in the box,” Kaylee piped up. “Can’t imagine why he’d bother to lie about it.”

“You’d be surprised by the amount of people that lie, Kaylee,” Zoe told her. “For no other reason than lying itself.”

“Are we not perhaps missing an option here?” Book suddenly cut in.

He’d been hovering by the kitchen area, not really in the conversation so much as listening in. He now stepped up to the table and gave his opinion, closing the bible he’d been seemingly studying all this time.

“And what option’s that, Preacher?” Jayne asked with a glare. “My bein’ all set for hell and damnation?”

“Not in the traditional sense, no,” the Shepherd told him. “I was just wondering if perhaps the child was born of both River and Jayne, just not made in what might be considered the old fashioned way,” he explained.

“There are ways.” Simon nodded slowly. “It’s been possible to make babies in a test-tube in a lab for hundreds of years, though it was largely frowned upon, especially in religious circles,” he said, sounding somewhat like a text book as he explained.

“That don’t sound like too nice a way to come into the world.” Kaylee squirmed in her seat. “Like some weird scientific experiment.”

“Not everyone has the option to make children in the conventional way, meimei,” Inara told her gently. “For women who desire to be mothers too late in life or were not given the gift of being able to create their own offspirng themselves, they have to resort to other methods,” she explained.

“But this has nothing to do with River.” The doctor shook his head.

“’M not sayin’ it does, Doc.” Mal shook his head. “But you said yourself, more than once, you got no way of knowing just exactly what they did with your sister in that institute you bust her out of. Could be they fancied growing a whole field of special kids, just as full of brains as she was.”

“I suppose it’s not impossible to think they took some kind of samples from River and tried to create a child based on her DNA.” Simon shook his head in disbelief in spite of the fact he was agreeing this was entirely possible.

“But that don’t explain why the kid thinks Jayne is someone to cling to,” said Kaylee, still looking puzzled.

“Gotta admit, I can’t think the boy mistook him for a teddy bear,” Wash mumbled to Zoe who gave him a stern look - now was not the time for jokes.

“If the Doc here says kids can get made with samples in labs,” said Jayne awkwardly, scratching the back of his head and looking anywhere but at the faces that stared back at him. “There might be some scientist got himself a little Jayne DNA somewhere.”

“And how exactly did anybody get a hold of a piece of you to be experimentin’ on and growin’ some test tube kid out of?” Mal asked, giving his merc a look both inquisitive and stern.

“I ain’t none ashamed, Mal. Did what I had to, every man gotta have cash,” Jayne explained. “Science folk were offering decent rates for donatin’ what they needed. Blood samples and... other stuff,” he said with a look that unfortunately made sense to the assembled crew, including Inara who really wished she hadn’t been present to hear it. As questionable as her profession may be to some people, the kind of thing that Jayne was talking of was entirely demeaning and a desperate occupation.

“Well, that does explain somethin’.” Zoe nodded once.

“I think I would rather not have had the explanation,” Inara said, somewhat haughtily as Kaylee swallowed hard at the thought of how the sweet little boy from the cryopod had been created. Shouldn’t nobody come into the world like that. Children were made out of love, that’s how she saw it, and in no other way.

“So what happens now with the little lab experiment?” Wash asked, when everyone seemed to quiet.

“He has a name,” said a voice from the door, and everyone turned to see River there with the little boy, half hidden behind her skirt.

“You mind sharin’ with us what that name is?” Mal asked her as she stepped into the room, the child trailing behind her.

“Only one can give you all the answers you need.” River smiled, her hand going to the boys head and petting his hair, as he peeked around her legs and grinned at Jayne, who shifted awkwardly in his place.

All eyes went to the boy suddenly, and just as soon as he noticed he went back to hiding.

“He can’t explain, not now.” River shook her head, before holding out her hand, a small device sitting in her open palm. “He gave me the answers that I already knew, now he must share them again, with you, Captain,” she said, and Mal moved forward, taking what appeared to be some kind of recording device from her hand.

River took a seat at the table, pulling the boy up onto her lap, where he sat quite happily, leaning his head on her shoulder, glad of her arms around him.

Waiting not a moment for this situation to get any more odd, Captain Reynolds stood in the centre of the room amongst his entire crew, held out the small recording device, and pressed ‘Play’.


	4. Chapter 4

“Er, hello... this is a message for Jayne Cobb or his kin,” said the voice of some well-spoken young man on the recording device Mal held out in front of him. “By now you will have met the child we call Daniel,” he explained, and all eyes went to the little boy in River’s arms.

“He is a boy of supreme intelligence, as well as strength, but do not be alarmed. Whilst he was not born in the conventional way, he is as human as you or I, he is simply gifted, special. Forgive me for not better explaining but I have limited time and the process that has happened here is far more complex than I am able to properly explain.

“The boys mother was from an Academy, a place I believed to be both a school and a facility to help gifted young people. I have since found this to be untrue. A great deal of experiments have been performed that I am ashamed to say I know of, but you must believe I had no part in them.

“Samples were taken from gifted students, and the very best were combined with the DNA of others, strong fighters and men of strength. The mental capacity of those at the academy and physical strength combined was what they wanted. The ultimate warriors were born in Petri-dishes in a lab, and those of us that worked on the project simply had no idea what we were doing, not until it was too late.

“Growth acceleration techniques were the next step in the process, bringing the small children to adult size within six months. When I discovered what those adults were destined for, I could not allow myself to continue on in my work. I cannot say I was an innocent in all of this, but I was not the brains behind the operation and never would allow myself to be.

“In an attempt to wipe away some of the damage I have inadvertently done, I have sent Daniel to you. His mother, River Tam, was broken out of the Academy some months ago and I simply had no way of tracking her. Instead I have sent the boy to you, Jayne Cobb, his father, and pray that he reaches you in safety.”

As the message came to end with a promise of repentance and hopes of forgiveness, all eyes turned first to Jayne, then River and the boy in her lap.

“Daniel?” Mal said carefully, crouching down before River’s seat and looking at the child.

The little boy nodded slowly, a smile spreading across his lips as he looked at the Captain and somehow he knew he would be safe here. He had a mother and father, but more than that, a family that would care for him. Though he spoke not a word, he understood all this and so much more.

“Daniel,” River repeated with a smile worthy of a proud mother. “Meaning ‘God is my Judge’,” she said, looking to Shepherd Book who was almost surprised by her knowledge as she continued. “Interpreter of dreams. Survivor of the lions den.”

“Shun-sheng duh gao-wahn,” Jayne gasped as his eyes fixed on the boy in the young girl’s lap, and on her as she spoke of his name and what it meant.

None of this made any sense to him. Though it was somewhat of a relief to realise he hadn’t actually impregnated some random woman who might come after him at any point. Of course, on the other hand it was damn creepifying knowing that he and the moonbrain had a kid between them, half him and half her. What sort of monster the two of them might create didn’t bear thinking about, and yet the little boy that stared up at him with wide and innocent eyes didn’t look all that scary.

“I told you.” River giggled as she tipped her head back to stare at the apparent father of her child. “I told you he would know you, he would know us,” she reminded him, and Jayne realised with a cold shiver that she was right.

Before she boarded the shuttle earlier today, all she’d done was yell that someone was coming, and that he would know Jayne. He’d taken little or no notice of her ramblings, he seldom if ever did bother. She was a lot less creepifying when ignored, and Jayne could almost forget she was crazy sometimes, simply from concentrating on her only when she was calm and lucid, and paying no heed to her outbursts.

“Don’t care none if he is my kid,” he snapped, though somewhere in the depth of the merc’s hardened heart, something moved when the little boy stared up at him in silent contemplation.

It never really occurred to Jayne that he’d have a son, gave up on hopes of a family when he left home so very many moons ago. He was careful not to be letting himself leave that trail behind him that the Shepherd had spoke of. There were ways and means to ensure seeds were not sown and he took those precautions, after all, the last thing he needed was a whole string of nameless women chasing him down for what he owed for leaving them in a sorry state. Now here was one child, apparently borne from him in a much less traditional way, but his none the less. Of all the crazy things, the little boy’s mother was River, and as such, the kid was probably equal parts smart and strong, the perfect combination of the two of them. It was likely that was the plan in creating such a child, and that was no way to come into the world. Still, Jayne knew that even babies born out of love could feel unwanted, and there was no doubting this particular kid was at least loved by his mother.

River had the child on her lap still, holding him close and keeping him safe like a mother should. Though she came off so child-like usually, right now each member of the crew could see a woman sat before them, capable and calm. It was an odd picture and yet the Captain at least was only glad to have been given some kind of explanation to this whole crazy situation they’d found themselves in. Okay, so it wasn’t normal or sensible to hear that this little boy had been grown in a lab from samples of the two most unlikely members of his crew, but any rationalisation for his existence was welcome right now as sleep began to fog Mal’s brain.

It was too many hours since he’d slept, he realised now, and today had been less than peaceful. The job earlier had taken it out of him, not least because he’d lost a fair amount of blood. Zoe was looking pale still, and shock was taking its toll on most everybody else.

“Okay.” He nodded once. “Seems to me there ain’t nothin’ can be done about this right now that’d be of use to anybody,” the Captain told his crew. “Ain’t one amongst us that couldn’t use a good amount of rest after the fiasco today turned into, so I reckon we should all be gettin’ to our beds and figure out what happens next in the mornin’.”

“Must be the most sensible thing I heard all day,” said Zoe, looking grateful for the chance to rest her head.

“Are you joking?” Simon gasped, not half so happy with the suggestion it seemed. “We’ve just heard that scientists have created a race of children out of unsuspecting bystanders and prisoners of the Alliance,” he said, gesturing between Jayne and River. “And your big plan is to go to bed and sleep it off?” he asked incredulously. “How is that going to help?”

“Simon,” Kaylee reached a hand to his arm and tried to get him to calm down, knowing Mal wouldn’t appreciate the doctor’s outburst, but it did no good.

“Now you listen here, Doc,” the Captain said sternly, pointing an angry finger at the young man. “Don’t make me use no language I’ll regret in front of the young’un,” he threatened. “I don’t see what it is you think needs to be done here. Seems we got ourselves a new little crew member, at least for the time bein’. Your sister here ain’t got no problems with taking care of the boy, and I suggest you be a responsible uncle and make sure neither of them comes to harm, dong ma?” he said in such a tone that his question was clearly rhetorical.

Though Simon agreed with Mal, it would have been of little or no importance either way. Regardless of what he said or thought, the Captain’s word was law on his own ship, and nobody was going to argue with him about anything. With sleep the agreed course of action for all, the crew went their separate ways, Wash heading off with his wife to check things out at the bridge before turning in for the night, Kaylee, Shepherd Book, and Inara all headed for their respective sleeping quarters, and Mal doing the same.

The only people left then were the Tams and Jayne, plus the child that had arrived amongst them today. It was likely the merc hadn’t even realised he was one of the last to move. He’d become almost hypnotised by the little boy in River’s lap, who stared intently at him, an innocence in his eyes that Jayne had long since lost in his own. Still, he had been this boy once, something similar at least. Despite the tough man that lived aboard Serenity now, once upon a time Jayne had much better fit a girlish name, back when his mother had meant the ‘verse to him and no-one else could ever soothe his worries. Nobody knew how he’d once been as a child, not a person anywhere around here. Though the others would never see it, Jayne saw himself within this child’s eyes, and without a doubt he knew the doctor on the recording and River both spoke the truth. Daniel was his son, there was no doubt left in his mind, and the boy’s mother knew it too.

“You see it now,” she said with a smile that was neither crazy nor clever, it was just warm and pleasant. “You see what I saw, see the connection,” she said as Jayne’s eyes shifted from his son to the woman that held him.

“Yeah,” he admitted in a low gruff voice. “Yeah, I see it.”

“I’m fairly certain that I don’t,” Simon muttered as he moved up behind where his sister sat and put a hand to her shoulder. “Come on, River, let’s get you and Daniel to bed.”

“No, Simon,” she snapped, shrugging his hand away and turning to glare at him. “You are family, but this is different. A different connection, and you can’t understand,” she told him, as Daniel scrambled from her lap and once again clamped tight onto Jayne’s legs.

Dumbstruck, the big lug of a man didn’t move this time, didn’t try to kick the child off or scold him for wanting to be close to him. Instead, he reached a hand down to the child’s head and ruffled his hair in what he hoped was an affectionate way. He didn’t so much understand being soft and friendly, he wasn’t built for it as far as he could tell. His life was violence and the company of women whenever he could get it. alcohol numbed the pain he suffered, womenfolk scratched the itches he couldn’t. Family and love and affection, these were not things he thought of much. Though the crew were friends and even family in a sense, this was a whole different ballgame.

“Bonding.” River smiled as she watched her son and Jayne with clear delight. “Very important for father and son,” she told Simon who shook his head in disbelief.

“This is insane,” he said, backing up towards the door. “I think perhaps Mal was right. Sleep deprivation is doing none of us any good, we should get to bed.”

“You go,” River told him, not even sparing him a glance now as she continued to stare at Jayne and Daniel. “We’ll follow soon,” she said, adding a promise and a genuine smile over he shoulder when Simon still refused to leave.

Trusting his sister and yet not so much Jayne, the doctor was at least pretty certain nothing bad would occur with the child present, and the crew all within the yelling distance of their beds. He managed a small smile at River and his best warning glare at Jayne, before he finally left the little unlikely family alone.

“If you’re so brainy and all,” said Jayne to River, without looking at her at all. “Why don’t he talk?” he said, eyes never leaving Daniel who was hugging his legs so tight he almost cut off the circulation.

“Children who suffer trauma sometimes lose the ability to speak,” River recited like a doctor or a textbook might, eyes shifting from her child just as Jayne’s did the same. “It’ll come, if we love him enough,” she said as they looked at each other, a smile curving her lips. “Time to go now,” she said then, standing up from her seat and reaching a hand out to Daniel.

Her fingers moved over his hair, an affectionate movement that also finally dragged his attention away from the man that would be his father. The fact River inadvertently touched Jayne’s leg at the same time didn’t go unnoticed by either party, though neither said a word about it. It wasn’t like it mattered, they weren’t young lovers or anything, this child was only borne of them via a lab experiment. Still, it made Jayne feel weird, not least because he felt a bond to this child but because somewhere deep within him he almost felt a bond to her, to River. It was crazy, he was crazy, and he dismissed the moment of madness as simply that as she took the boy by the hand and led him out of the galley.

“Hey,” Jayne called behind her, summoning the attention of the two. “You, er... you take good care of my boy, you hear?” he told River who smiled genuinely and nodded once.

“Our boy,” she reminded him. “I will,” she promised before they disappeared from his sight.


	5. Chapter 5

The sun on his face was warm and inviting, the breeze light and pleasant as it swept through the long grass on the bank where he sat. Jayne hadn’t ever felt so peaceful or calm as he did, laid out here in his own little wilderness, safe from harm. He wore no gun, held no weapon on his body, not here, such things were not needed. No harm would come to him or anyone in this special quiet place.

“Pa!”

His peaceful near-slumber was interrupted, though the intrusion was not unwelcome to Jayne as he propped himself up on his elbows and smiled at the sight of his son running towards him, a small home-made rod and line clasped in his little hands.

“Hey, Pa! I got one!” he declared before he’d barely made it to his father’s side, a wide grin on his face as he presented the fish he’d just caught. “Now we can have a King’s feast for dinner,” he said proudly, though he ought to have known the small fish would not go far.

“Sure we can, son,” Jayne told him anyway, his own smile as wide as his boy’s own as he reached up to ruffle the kid’s hair. “You did real good.”

“I’m gonna go see if I can catch some more!” Daniel said excitedly, pelting off to do just that.

“You be careful of the river, boy!” his father called after him.

Though he barely got a response to his caring command, Jayne was pleased to hear another voice, this time from behind where he lay.

“Good advice,” she said as she stood over him, casting a shadow. “We River’s can be pretty dangerous when we want to be.” She smiled, eyes sparkling as she sat down beside him.

“Well, I don’t know about dangerous, but I’ll go with pretty,” he told her, making her laugh lightly as she stared past him at their child playing still. “We raised us a good kid there, didn’t we?”

“Our job has only just begun.” River shook her head, eyes shifting to met with his. “We have so very much road left to travel.” She sighed.

Though her words bordered on the riddles he so despised, Jayne couldn’t help but notice she was so perfectly lucid, so perfectly beautiful, so... perfect. How he had ever not seen it, the man could not figure at all. Perhaps it was just because he’d given up on love and family and such so long ago that he didn’t see the opportunity until it was practically shoe-horned into his life.

“This all is just what I always wanted,” he said, his voice too soft to his own ears, and yet every word truthfully spoken.

“Me too.” She smiled as she lay down beside him, putting her arm across his chest.

Jayne’s own arm wrapped around the young woman’s shoulders, holding her close, as he absently kissed the top of her head. His eyes fell shut as the warmth of the sun drove him back to his peaceful semi-slumber for just a few minutes more...

Jayne awoke with a start as an alarm sounded overhead. Sitting up sharply, he banged his head against the wall and cursed loudly about the injury. Looking down showed the merc that the beautiful dream-like place he’d encountered just minutes before had been only that, a dream. Instead of the beautiful woman he’d held in his arms there by the quiet riverside, there was nothing but a pillow for comfort, and an empty room that spun a little as he attempted to stand.

Yesterdays stitches pulled and his muscles protested as he made himself move, pulled on his pants and headed up the ladder, shirtless and armed, to find out what the hell had broken him out of his oh-so-pleasant dream, that he would never admit to having in the whole course of his life.

* * *

Everyone was rushing around when Jayne got up into the corridor. Mal and Wash headed for the bridge, as Zoe cut the other way and Kaylee buzzed around in the middle, having a right tizzy of a fit as far as the merc could tell. Something was up with Serenity, that had to be it. As rattled as the little girl got about her crew being hurt, that didn’t seem too likely given all the bustling around they were doing, which only left her baby, the Firefly class ship they all lived on, to be in some kind of peril that’d have Kaylee all teary eyed.

“What in the gorram ’verse is goin’ on here?” Jayne muttered to himself as he headed off to the bridge behind Mal and Wash, only to plough right into River at the door.

“He walked without waking,” she said, staring in through the open door at Daniel who was, Jayne now noticed, huddled under the console, looking mighty upset about something.

The merc didn’t doubt the noisy alarms and flashing light were doing the kid no favours at all, but it seemed to him there was more to it than that, if River’s words were to be taken in any literal fashion.

“He sleep-walks?” Jayne guessed that was just what she meant, and immediately found himself worried that the girl was making sense to him all of a sudden.

Course, River had been less moon-brained since Ariel, more often she seemed routed in reality than not since the Doc found the right combination of drugs for her. There were times Jayne plum forgot she was even crazy, and as disturbing as it ought to be, he found he liked her just fine those times when she was acting all sane.

“He thinks too much.” River sighed as she walked down the steps with her usual grace, despite the fact it was the middle of what ought to be night and a time for sleep.

Jayne noticed that though her hair was a little mussed, she didn’t look too shabby for being hauled out of bed in such a way as they’d all just been. In fact, in her night dress that hung off one shoulder, she was the cutest thing he’d seen in a good while. Course, Jayne dare not let his mind wander too long down that particular track of thinking. Seeing no real danger around, he forced his gun into the back of his pants and traipsed down the steps behind River.

“At last!” Wash exclaimed, glad when the din of sirens and warnings in both English and Chinese ceased, the lights on his console calming to their usual flickers and flashes too.

“We all fixed, little man?” Jayne asked the pilot, just as Zoe arrived at the door, clearly meaning to ask the very same question.

“Dung ee hwar...” he said, waving a hand in a vague manner as he flicked a couple of switches, pushed a button, checked a screen. “And we’re okay.” He smiled at last, immediately contacting Inara in her shuttle who was about to disengage and letting her know there was now no need for panic.

“Thank the Lord for that,” was the Shepherd's response as he approached. “I’ve just come from the engine room, Kaylee tells me she has re-routed the necessary parts with a little help from the doctor.” He smiled. “I fear he would rather be elbow deep in blood than grease, but I believe he and I did assist quite well in the absence of any other,” he joked.

“Well then, what a mighty fine mess somebody almost made,” said Mal, not finding any humour in the situation at all as he swung into the room and crouched down beside River who was peering under the console at her son. “Whatever did you think you was doin’, little one?” he asked the boy who looked scared stiff of the Captain, in spite of the fact his tone was far from harsh.

“He understands what he did,” River told Mal, still staring at Daniel as if she were channelling his thoughts some how. “He does not comprehend.”

“Well, if that ain’t just a little creepyfying,” was the Captain’s response as he looked between the boy and the young woman who really wasn’t old enough to bear the title of mother.

“With your agreement, sir, we’ll return to bed now the crisis is over?” Zoe said from the door as her husband got up from his seat, checking the panels before him one last time before he was ready to leave.

“Think we should all be gettin’ some more rest now the fun and frolics is all done,” said Mal as he turned to the couple and the Shepherd beyond them. “You mind checking all’s ship shape with the others on your way, tell ‘em all to get back to their beds whilst they got the chance?”

“Yes, sir,” Zoe agreed as Book called a cheery goodnight, and the three disappeared, leaving the Captain alone with the newest little family aboard his ship.

“You’re not to be afraid,” River told the boy as she reached for him. “We’re all family, all love you.” She smiled as Mal watched the kid shy away.

“Might be best I leave you in charge of this,” the Captain said to Jayne as he got to his feet and dusted off the knees of the pants he’d hastily pulled on when the crisis broke out. “I trust you to take care no more buttons get pushed nor levers pulled, dong ma?”

“Uh-huh,” came Jayne’s vague reply as he stared at the little boy beneath the console, and Daniel stared right back, looking right past his mother who was trying still to get his attention, as Mal left them alone

Jayne would probably have been quite proud to realise the Captain had enough faith in him to leave him in charge of both River and Daniel. A whole heap of trouble could come out of what the kid had gotten up to, though he meant no harm he was sure. Certainly River never really meant to cause damage, this he knew, even when she’d come at Jayne himself with a blade. His fingers went absently to his chest as he recalled the incident, and then thought on another time spent with her, in that dream he’d had just before. No knife was in her hand then as she laid her arm across his body and cuddled up close. In that world she gorram loved him or something, same with the kid who sat now still staring.

“Hey, er... you wanna come out from under there, boy?” Jayne said then as he crouched down beside River and reached out to Daniel, trying his best to look and sound fatherly or at least a kinder and gentler version of himself.

It didn’t exactly come natural to Jayne to be this way, at least not in real life. He’d managed pretty well in his dream, though that in itself was a little creepy. He didn’t feel that way about River, he’d never looked at her that way before, not really, well, maybe once or twice but...

“It’s pretty,” she said suddenly, startling Jayne so much he bumped his head on the console he’d crouched half under to get to his son.

“What the hell you yammerin’ about?” he asked her, as he rubbed his head where it hurt and made a definite effort not to curse in front of the kid too much.

“The pictures you made.” River smiled, her hand going out to his face but fingers barely touching. “Like a family album,” she said, eyes dancing with delight as she practically read his mind.

This was the kind of thing that freaked Jayne out, and no doubt his discomfort would have shown itself in anger were it not for Daniel’s sudden need to pelt out from his hiding place and throw himself into his father’s embrace. Hugging onto him so tight, the kid nearly knocked the merc over, moreover ‘cause he surprised him than anything else. The usually big and scary man was mush in a moment, a smile on his lips as he put an arm around the boy and held onto him.

“Hey, no need to fret there, boy,” he told him, in a way he hoped was comforting. “No real harm done, but you gotta be careful messin’ with controls like that. Cap’n’ll have my head if we end up flyin’ backwards or some such,” he said, not really joking as such but not averse to the fact his words made the boy look up at him with a grin and even got a giggle out of River.

“Daniel is a good boy,” she said, reaching out to touch his face. “ _Our_ good boy,” she said happily as she looked between her son and Jayne.

“I guess.” The man nodded awkwardly, staring at the kid that was apparently theirs.

Weird as it sounded, even in his own head, it was kinda nice to think the boy was his, that he had a son that he could teach stuff to and all. Not that he had a whole boat-load of knowledge, and that he did know wasn’t exactly good to teach a little one. At least River had smarts enough to talk to the boy about studying’ and such. Jayne would just have to make sure he grew up to be a proper kind of man, not some Nancy type like his ‘Uncle’ Simon.

“Just what you always wanted,” said River then, as she watched Jayne watching Daniel.

It caught him unawares less that she spoke and moreso because the words were so familiar. Hadn’t he told her just that in the dream he’d had a short while previous?

She shouldn’t know that and Jayne wouldn’t believe she could if’n she were any other person, but this was River. She had more power where other folks were concerned than she ever had over her own thoughts and feelings.

“Say goodnight to your Pa,” she told Daniel as she got to her feet, grasped the little boy’s hand in her own and led him towards the door.

Daniel said not a word, just waved a hand and smiled as he was taken back to his bed. Jayne watched the pair walk away with a dopey smile on his face that soon gave way to a frown when he realised where his mind was takin’ a wander to. The boy might be his son and River might be the mother, but that didn’t mean they were a family, not really. That would be ridiculous, and Jayne would be crazier than River ever had been if he wanted it to be true... wouldn’t he?


	6. Chapter 6

“Is everything alright now?” Simon asked as River passed by his bedroom door that he’d left ajar, purposefully to check on her.

He didn’t like this situation at all, his little sister who had enough problems of her own without taking on a small boy who clearly had his own issues. Even if the story on the recording device was true, even if Daniel really was genetically made up of both River and Jayne’s DNA, that didn’t mean they should or could be parents to the boy. Not that anyone else was around to play the parts of mother and father, but Simon did worry so much about how River would cope with this mentally. It was an odd situation at best, and with her already so fragile, he didn’t like to think what could happen.

“Fahng-sheen, Simon.” She rolled her eyes at his concern. “Everything is fine,” she promised him with a genuine smile as she gripped her son’s hand tightly and he half hid behind her legs.

“River...” her brother began, only for her to ignore him completely and walk into their room next door to his own.

Getting up to follow, Simon arrived at the door and watched River tuck Daniel into his bed and then move to sit down on her own, staring across at the small boy who was practically asleep the moment his head hit the pillow.

“He dreams about me,” she said, eyes not moving from the small boys form, though she was obviously talking to her brother.

“Daniel does?” Simon asked, wondering if she knew because he told her, or if it was yet another of her psychic-type abilities presenting themselves.

It was often said that these kind of mental connections were stronger between family members than anyone else, and with mother and child both being of such intelligence and skill...

“No, silly.” River giggled, throwing Simon completely off his train of thought as she turned to him with sparkling eyes and a truly amused expression. “Jayne. He dreams of me, of us,” she said, her eyes going back to Daniel and making her meaning clear.

Simon wasn’t sure how he wanted to react to that, if he wanted to at all. He could hardly threaten a man with violence on the strength of a dream he may have had. It was not against any kind of law or ethic for a man to dream about a woman in any way at all, be it innocent or the more likely alternative where Jayne were concerned.

Still, the young doctor did not want the ship’s muscle to be thinking of his sister in that kind of way, or any way at all. Of course, it could all be innocent, after all, he had found out today that he and River were connected by a child, possibly the only son he would ever know. There was no taking away from that bond between them, however Simon wished it could be broken.

He was being ridiculous, he realised in a moment of spontaneous laughter at his own stupidity. As if Jayne would have an interest in River, in any kind of way. He spent his time avoiding the both of them or trying to hand them over to the Alliance for varying sums of money. The idea that he should care for Simon’s little sister in any way was in fact ridiculous, this he ought to have known from the beginning.

“Sleep now,” said River softly, almost to herself as she climbed into bed and pulled the covers up around her chin.

“Goodnight, mei mei.” Simon smiled as he closed the door on his sister and apparent nephew, heading back to his own room and bed.

As he turned out his light and closed his eyes, he was still chuckling on the inside. What a ridiculous notion he’d invented in his head about River and Jayne. He clearly needed more sleep than he thought. Of course, he would never have been so quick to dismiss his supposedly wacky thoughts had he been able to read minds as well as his sister could.

In the next room, River lie wide awake, staring at the ceiling. She hadn’t been lying when she said she should sleep now, all she had left out was the fact she knew she wouldn’t be able to find rest despite her body’s need for it. Whilst Jayne saw her in his dreams, pictures formed by the sub-conscious in slumber, River saw him in her minds eye all the time.

They were not an obvious pairing from the outside, she knew that. After all, she was supposed to be the most intelligent one on the ship, along with her little boy. They were supposed geniuses, and no-one would argue with that, and yet it was Jayne, the complete opposite who would complete their little family.

There wasn’t much to say yet, not anything much to make mention of to Simon, but she just couldn’t help herself. Any mention of Jayne made her brother turn puce with anger or loathing of some kind, and River just found it far too amusing to ignore. He above all others would never approve of a romance between the two of them, his own dear little mei mei and the big burly merc who was so attached to his weaponry that he named his gun as a woman!

Still, it was fate, and not to be argued with, impossible to fight against. Though she hadn’t made it obvious, River had known from Day One. Her first time aboard the ship, just as soon as her brain had shuffled the deck and dealt it out again just right, she’d seen Jayne and she’d known. No matter what he did or how he treated her and Simon, he would come to know her as his only one, his true soul-mate. It would take time, this she’d also known, and that time wasn’t done yet.

It was like the perfect bread. They’d started with the right ingredients, gone through all the steps. The catalyst had just now arrived, the yeast to make it rise. All that was needed now was the right amount of heat and time to get the end result that would please everyone. River smiled to herself as she thought of the family life that lay before her.

Things had started to get so much clearer lately. Simon and the others thought it was because of the drugs he’d been giving her since Ariel, but that wasn’t it. It was the events that happened that day, but it had nothing at all to do with tests and medicines. It had everything to do with a dream of River’s own, and with Jayne. Despite the deal he’d tried to make, she’d known all the time it would fall through. He didn’t really mean any harm, he was just desperate for money and status. River could understand that, and she forgave him before his plan was even under way, knowing long before even Jayne could have that it would fail.

Her dream didn’t show her that, she just knew. No, the dream was what told her Daniel was coming. Not in a clear way, there was no voice to announce it or picture of the boy, but she knew, sensed it as she did so many things. She sensed Jayne, felt the goodness in him that he tried to hide. She hadn’t told him that yet, but she would, when the time was right.

Now of course was the time for sleep, and though it would be hard to come by with her brain so busy, River would try to rest. She would need her strength for Daniel, and for everything else that was to be thrown there way all too soon.

* * *

Jayne couldn’t sleep. That made him cranky enough in the first place, but the reasons for his lack of rest only made him all the more frustrated. He’d always been a fairly simple man with a fairly simple life. Sure, there were complications with jobs and such aboard Serenity, but it wasn’t up to him to take control or be in charge of the plan. He was the muscle, the gun-toting merc that nobody messed with, at least that was how it was supposed to be, and had been for a long while.

Now there was one person who was playing games with him, screwing with his mind actually, and there was no-one more qualified than her. River Tam was a reader, or so it seemed since she always knew what others were thinking or what they meant to say without a word being uttered about it. It was a little creepifying to Jayne, and he knew that Mal often felt the same about it, but for the most part the Moonbrain had always been easily ignored.

Unfortunately, it seemed Daniel was going to change all that. It was going to be mighty difficult to ignore the girl when she was the other raising his kid, their kid. If he wanted to be there for the child, he’d have to be around the mother a lot, and she seemed to be making it her mission to drive him to distraction any gorram chance she got. Even in sleep he saw her, dreamt of her being as much a part of him as the child was, the three of them a family in a much truer sense than they were right now.

Jayne didn’t want to be thinking this way, didn’t want to be playing house with the resident crazy, but he couldn’t help himself. All this was starting to make him wonder if he only saw River as a potential woman for him just because of Daniel, or if there had always been something there between them. It was an insane notion, and he knew it just the first second it popped into his relatively empty head, but that didn’t stop him going over it, looking at it from every which way til he felt as lost as a little fish in a very big ocean.

“Can’t think about this no more,” he muttered to himself as he he got himself up and dressed. “Least not 'til I eat,” he decided, realising it must be damn near time for breakfast if his stomach knew anything at all.

Ascending the ladder up into the hall, Jayne was at least pleased to realise that calm had been restored aboard the little Firefly. Clearly, Daniel’s sleep-walking had been a one time only deal, at least he hoped it was, since it was not going to sit to well with the Captain or the others if they ended up flying backwards through a black hole or some such because the kid was up pulling levers in the cockpit whilst he slept!

Heading to the galley, he found the whole crew, including River and Daniel, all sat around the table enjoying breakfast.

“Nice of you to join us, Jayne,” Mal commented with evident sarcasm, as the merc took his usual seat next to River, of course today was a little different as their son sat between them, grinning like a crazy person at the sight of his father.

“Had trouble sleepin’ last night,” Jayne grunted. “After all the excitement,” he added, sapping the smile off Daniel’s face in a second and immediately he felt guilty for it. “Not that it was your fault, little man,” he told the kid, who at least looked a little happier for that.

“Can’t be helped.” River sighed as she munched down an over-sized mouthful of food. “Kids will be kids,” she tutted, as if she were many years older than she actually was.

“Perhaps now is not the time to discuss this,” Book suggested then as Daniel’s eyes went to each person that spoke, no matter what the subject, and it seemed to be sticking much on the boy himself, as many comments were made about his sleep walking.

“Hey, Daniel,” Kaylee caught his attention from across the table as she got to her feet, wiping her messy fingers on the legs of the overalls. “Why don’t you and me take a walk down to the engine room?” she suggested. “I can show you how we keep Serenity flying.” She grinned, not only glad to help by taking the by out of an awkward moment, but also so excited to have a new person to show the workings of the ship to.

“You can go, son, if you want to,” Jayne told him when the kid seemed to look to him for approval. “Won’t come to no harm with little Kaylee,” he assured the boy who grinned at Jayne and then River before hopping down from his seat and hurrying around the table to where Kaylee waited.

Taking a hold of his hand, the young mechanic led Daniel off down the hall, and away from the serious talk the ‘grown-ups’ felt the need to have without him.

“He is a sweet child.” Inara smiled as she watched them go. “A credit to his parents, however unusual his conception may have been,” she said, pleasing River to know end it seemed.

“We’ll raise him well,” she said proudly, before getting back to her food, and unwittingly putting Simon off his own breakfast.

He hated the idea of his sister getting closer to Jayne, and yet if they were going to bring up this child between them, they would have little choice in the matter.

“Ain’t got to doubts you’ll do your darndest for the boy, mei mei,” said Mal kindly to the crazy girl who seemed a lot more lucid this past while, especially since she’d had Daniel to take care of, “but we can’t be havin’ a replay of last night events, it’s too dangerous.”

“That is true,” Wash agreed with a nod. “I mean, don’t get me wrong, the boy is cute and all, but the mess he could’ve made...” He shook his head, not wanting to think about what might’ve happened if they’d not caught up to the kid in time to fix what he’d done.

“Might be you could help the boy with his sleeping trouble, Doc,” his wife suggested.

“Took the words right out of my mouth, Zoe,” Mal cut in, catching Simon’s attention as he poured hisemlf another drink. “You got some sleeping pills or somethin’ for him?”

“No!” River yelled suddenly, making all at the table jump violently, not least Jayne who was right beside her. “No needless and pins!” she said definitely. “All Daniel needs is his Ma and Pa. He’ll be fine,” she said firmly, not hearing any arguments, as she literally covered her ears when Simon tried to speak. “Tell them, Jayne!” she demanded of him.

The merc looked uncertain at first as all eyes turned on him, he was used to saying things that pissed off the crew, but was rarely asked to do so. He didn’t like he idea of the Doc injecting stuff into his kid either, but he had smarts enough at least to know that Daniel’s sleep walking could cause big problems if it didn’t stop.

“I don’t want no kid of mine bein’ one of your damn science experiments,” he told the Doc with a shake of his head, at least sure about that point in his mind. “Your sister’s right on that,” he said firmly as Zoe smiled.

“Well, sir,” she said to Mal from across the table. “Might just be this boy really is a miracle child.” She grinned. “He just made Jayne and River agree on somethin’.”

Book chuckled at the joke as Wash and Mal saw a little humour in it too. Simon was less than amused, and Jayne certainly looked uncomfortable as River felt overly grateful to him for backing her up. She sat back down beside him, leaning her head on his shoulder a moment. He tensed up the moment her hair tickled his skin and she retreated back out of his personal space, still looking nonetheless happy as she looked his way, even though he was ignoring her.

Inara watched the two as new conversations began around the table. Nobody else had noticed, she was sure, but there was definitely something different between River and Jayne. Zoe’s joke about them agreeing had truth at its core, it was miraculous for such a thing to happen, but Inara doubted it was only Daniel’s presence that had caused this shift in their auras. It was almost as if they liked each other, though River’s feelings seemed clearer than Jayne’s. Inara suspected River might indeed be developing a crush on the man who sat beside her, however unlikely it seemed. She wasn’t sure if that was a good or bad thing for the girl of extreme intelligence and yet unbalanced mind, but she planned to find out. She would have to make time to talk to River about this later, before things got potentially out of hand.


	7. Chapter 7

“And sometimes what we do, the way we get by, seems mighty scary to some,” Kaylee told her young charge as she walked around the engine room and leant her hand against Serenity as if petting a dog, “but she never lets me down. I ain’t ever afraid of my girl bein’... Daniel, no!” she yelled suddenly as she turned and spotted the boy half underneath the ship’s engine, his hands somewhere inside the workings.

She was equal parts afraid for the boy’s safety and Serenity’s integrity. One false move and she could plummet through the skies, just as easy as little Daniel could take his fingers off amongst hot wires and metal gears. The boy was out from his latest hiding place before Kaylee even reached his side, the look on his face uncertain.

Clearly, he didn’t know what he’d done wrong, and yet felt bad about it all the same. Caught between a proud smile and tears, the mechanic there with him barely noticed any particular look on his face as she grabbed up his greasy hands to ensure they were not cut or burned. Happy that Daniel was okay, Kaylee dropped to the floor and pushed herself under the engine to see what the boy had been doing under there.

The shock of catching him messing with the parts in the first place had been huge, but the surprise increased ten-fold when Kaylee realised what he’d actually done.

“How did ya ever...?” she gasped as she reached out a hand to follow each change he’d made from one side to the other.

“Kaylee!” Jayne hollered as he came into the engine room, startling the girl enough that she raised her head too quick coming out and clocked it on the engine on her way out. “What you doin’ under there, girl?” he asked with a frown as he glanced between her sitting on the floor rubbing her head, and his son who only smiled.

“Wo bu shin wo dah yan jing... He fixed it,” she said, staring at Daniel.

The poor boy was self conscious in a second and pushed himself up close to Jayne. His automatic and somewhat surprising gesture was to reach a hand down to the boy, ruffling his hair.

“Fixed what?” Jayne continued to frown. “Aunt Kaylee been teachin’ you fancy engine fixin’ tricks, boy?” he asked the kid who shook his head in his usual silence.

“No, I didn’t... I didn’t do anything,” Kaylee agreed, shaking her head in much the same way. “Weren’t even knownin’ anything needed a fix til he did it but... he did.” She grinned, shock subsiding some as she started to look impressed and happy.

“You talking in riddles for fun, little Kaylee?” Jayne asked as he literally scratched his head in confusion still.

“I never saw anybody do something like this,” she said, shaking her head as she got to her feet, wiping her hands on the thighs of her overalls. “I been trying for months now to get us that extra speed and all that the Cap’n was wantin’,” she explained, looking from Jayne to Daniel. “How’d a little thing like you ever learn such a thing?” she asked in genuine astonishment as the boy looked right at her and shrugged his shoulders.

Jayne stared down at his son. Daniel was half of each parent, therefore ought to grow up to have the muscle of himself and the brains of the Doc’s moonbrain sister. As crazy as River seemed, she was also mighty smart, even Jayne would admit that. Seemed the kid here had inherited much less of her crazy and all the more of her smarts, and that pleased him to no end if’n it meant he could do practical stuff like fixin’ of engines. That was a proper manly job, not that he’d say as such in front of little Kaylee, on account of not wanting to hurt her feminine feelings and all. Didn’t stop Jayne being awful proud of his boy and he planned on saying as such.

“Hey, my kid’s smart.” He grinned happily as he glanced at Kaylee then back at Daniel as he crouched down to his level. “You’re gonna be the first real brainy Cobb that I ever heard of, but that’s alright, just so long as you ain’t no pansy-ass like your Uncle Simon,” he chuckled as the boy smiled. “Couldn’t be more proud of you if’n I made you the old fashioned way,” he told the kid, who looked so proud he might burst.

Though Jayne looked stunned, Kaylee was close to tears as Daniel threw himself at his father, putting his arms around the large man’s neck and hugging him tight.

“Aaw, ain’t that just the sweetest thing,” she said, mostly to herself as Jayne got the weirdest feeling he could only imagine came with being a Daddy, as he put an arm around the child and hugged him back.

“I love you, Pa,” the little voice was shaky and soft at best, but Jayne heard the words and barely knew what to do next.

For a minute he thought he imagined the kid had spoken at all but when he faced Daniel a moment later and the boy grinned wide at him, he knew he’d heard right. The boy did speak after all, and that crazy-brained River had been right, he just needed to feel loved and cared for, comfortable enough to use the tongue he had in his head.

Jayne looked up at Kaylee, who nodded her head, the expression on her face and gesturing with her hands behind Daniel’s back supposedly suggesting that Jayne say something equal pretty back to his son. Of course, words like that didn’t come easy to a rough mercenary man who was hardly ever shown no affection himself. Still, his connection to this boy was such as he’d never had with no other child, and so he did what didn’t necessarily come too natural, and yet felt like the right thing to do.

“Love you just the same, kid,” he told him, covering most of the words in a growly cough that almost made Kaylee laugh.

Of course she knew if she let so much as a giggle escape, Jayne would think she thought him less of a man than she ought and that would make him mad. Fighting to keep control, she cleared her throat as he got to his feet.

“I don’t know where River is at but maybe you should go look for her,” she suggested. “Sure she’d wanna know that Daniel found his voice.” She smiled down at the boy who happily returned the look.

“Sure she would,” Jayne agreed. “Must be almost done having the doctor poke and prod at her with his damn tests,” he grumbled, turning and heading for the door. “C’mon, nyen ching-duh, no dawdling now,” he called over his shoulder as Daniel hurried to keep up with his father who strode off down the corridor.

* * *

Before Jayne and Daniel had a chance to reach the Medical Bay, River knew of their coming and was up off the bed, waiting at the door for them. Simon got a surprise when he turned around to speak to his sister only to find her gone out into the seating area.

“River!” he called going after her. “We aren’t done yet, and...” he stopped speaking immediately that she shushed him, following her gaze to the stairs down which Jayne and Daniel suddenly came.

“River’s men,” she said with a grin, though the words were softly spoken and unheard by the two who arrived into the room.

“Well, go on now, boy,” Jayne said to his son, shoving him gently forward towards River. “Gotta show your Ma your new trick.”

“I dread to think what you have taught him.” Simon physically winced as he thought of many an unpleasant ‘trick’ the boy might’ve come to learn from a man such as Jayne Cobb.

Fortunately, it seemed he was mistaken in his assumption that the boy’s father had been educating him in guns, cursing, spitting, or some such other habit. This he realised when suddenly Daniel ran at River who knelt and opened her arms up to hug him, as words spilled from the boy’s mouth.

“Pa was proud of me,” he told River as she held him tight. “I... I love you, Ma,” he said, faltering just a little as he noticed his so-called Uncle Simon staring oddly at him over River’s shoulder.

“She is moving,” she replied as her son pulled from her arms and nodded his head excitedly. “She moves faster and stronger because of you,” River went on, one hand laid flat on the floor, almost stroking the surface beneath her fingers.

“She?” Simon looked baffled, and Jayne looked proud and almost as pompous as Simon himself often did as he explained.

“She is the ship, Doc,” he told him, as if he were stupid. “M’boy here pulled a fix on her even Kaylee couldn’t figure.” He smiled proudly as River shared the expression. “Come to find his voice down there in the engine room too.”

“Told you he would.” River smirked up at the father of her child as she got to her feet still holding tight onto Daniel’s hand. “Didn’t believe the girl, but she knew. Knows more than you think... about love,” she said, staring over at him with one eyebrow raised.

Jayne got the weirdest sensation then, like a oddly pleasant chill down his spine. When she looked at him like that, it was like she could see right through him, through all the layers of fierce and strong, right deep into his heart and soul. Such a man as Jayne would claim to possess neither of these things, but deep down he did. Deep down he missed his home and loved his Ma, loved this kid that was supposed to be his own, as gorram dumb as that sounded even in his own head. What he felt for River, well, that was something even he hadn’t got to figuring yet, and yet he was getting the feeling she had certain ideas about it already, and that was just downright unsettlin’!

From beyond River, Simon watched the two share a look over their sons head. The intensity in their gazes bothered him, more than just a little, much as his sister’s words the night before had. They dreamt of each other, they were getting to know and perhaps even like each other. The very last thing Simon wanted was for River to develop a crush on Jayne, or worse for him to decide she was a woman to pursue in any way. Yesterday he had dismissed all these ideas as preposterous, but right now in this moment, watching the two of them watching each other, Simon started to doubt his own doubts.

With the best will in the world it was his sister whose sanity was to be regularly questioned, not his own. Still, Simon considered perhaps he too was crazy to even be thinking about a possible relationship between River and Jayne. Surely that was a whole new level of insanity and yet there was no denying the look that passed between them right now.

For his part, Daniel looked delighted as he glanced between his parents, but then any child would like to think their parents at the very least got along. Simon was altogether disgruntled when the boy suddenly looked his way with a grin on his face that had turned somewhat from generally happy to mischievous.

“Ma?” he said, tugging on the hem of her dress til her attention was won. “What’s a pansy ass?” he asked, looking all innocence in spite of the fact he knew very well what he was doing. “And why is Uncle Simon one?”

Even River could not keep a straight face as she looked from Daniel to Jayne and saw the smirk that the mercenary wore. He was the only one who would’ve put such an idea into their son’s head, she knew that for sure, any fool would know it. Simon knew it too, though he said not a word, just turned on his heel and stormed back into the medical bay, pulling the door forcibly shut behind him. River lost the will to hold in a fit of giggles then, as a low chuckle rumbled out of Jayne too.

“That’s my boy,” he said with a look of both amusement and pride.

“ _Our_ boy,” River corrected him one more time, rolling her eyes because she knew it was pointless, but not letting him forget it.


	8. Chapter 8

Simon was in a world of his own as he walked through Serenity, aimlessly and with no particular destination in mind. Had anyone seen him, it would have been obvious he was preoccupied by something, though for his own sake Simon really wished he wasn’t. The thoughts that filled his head right now didn’t thrill him in the least. All he could see in his minds eyes right now was his sister, River, and the ship’s muscle, Jayne, making eyes at each other over their sons head. Hours after the simple look was shared, Simon couldn’t stop thinking, and moreover worrying, about this whole situation. He could not allow his sister to develop feelings for that moronic ape! More importantly, the very last thing he wanted was for Jayne to think his little sister could be used like so many whores he’d had before.

Unfortunately, Simon wasn’t sure what the best course of action was to deal with such a situation. Hurting Jayne wouldn’t be easy unless he was sedated or injured in some way, and Simon had always vowed on his word as a doctor not to cause harm to any of the crew in such a way. Trying to talk any sense into River would be impossible, mostly because her brother feared putting ideas into her head. If he was being paranoid, and it wouldn’t be the first time, then the very last thing he wanted to do was plant the seed on an idea such as dating Jayne into River’s already mixed-up head.

She was becoming a young woman, he wasn’t blind to it, and yet she was often so child-like in her ways it was easy for him to ignore that the little girl he’d always known was growing up fast, perhaps faster than she should thanks to the evil people at the Academy who had cut into her brain and at the same time destroyed a part of her innocent soul.

So lost in thought was Doctor Tam that he soon found himself ploughing into a body walking in the opposite direction, and apologised profusely as it brought him back to reality.

“Inara, I’m so sorry,” he said, as they steadied each other and thankfully neither fell.

“That’s quite alright, Simon,” she assured him with a smile. “Although, you don’t seem to be,” she noted, her expression shifting to a frown. “Can I help at all?”

“I only wish you could,” he sighed, rubbing his tired eyes with one hand. “It’s... it’s River,” he explained, thinking of all people who might understand what he meant it would be a Companion.

She was trained to read people, to understand all about love and sex and relationships. Perhaps Inara could reassure him of his insanity so he could stop worrying about this.

“Is she not coping well with Daniel?” Inara asked, though she was fairly certain that couldn’t be it, since she herself had seen how well the young girl was adapting to motherhood in spite of the child’s sudden appearance, and River’s own young age.

“No, that’s not it.” Simon shook his head, looking awkward. “Actually she and Jayne are doing surprisingly well with Daniel,” he admitted. “I was a little more worried that they both... their connection with each other.”

“Ah,” Inara nodded once. “I wondered if I would be the only one to notice it,” she said, not reassuring Simon as he’d hoped she might, but instead comfirming his worst fears as she continued. “At first, I wondered if it were just their bonding over Daniel, but I’m seeing more than that, an attraction.”

“Oh, tsai boo shr!” Simon exclaimed. “She’s my little sister!” he complained too loudly, causing Inara to shush him, if only so the whole crew didn’t come running to see what was wrong.

“Simon, she’s also a young woman,” Inara told him, something he already knew but just didn’t really want to admit even to himself. “With all that’s happened to her... I’m afraid she’s not even quite as shy and retiring as other girls her own age, and many of them are already entertaining suitors, and contemplating unions of various kinds,” she pointed out, as delicately as she could.

“I know you’re right.” Simon sighed. “If we were still at home, the society we moved in, my mother would have her being courted by every eligible bachelor in the area by now,” he admitted, “but not one of them would be anything like that... that imbecile,” he complained.

“You know, Jayne really isn’t all bad,” Inara assured him, even as Simon’s eyes went wide in shock at the very suggestion. “Believe me Simon, I have known him some time now, and despite his crudeness and apparent lack of tact, he cares a great deal for those that matter, everyone aboard this ship,” she explained. “He has a bond with his child, I believe he will protect Daniel to his last breath, and from what I saw at breakfast this morning, well, the shift in his aura would suggest to me he is warming to River,” she told the doctor despite how unimpressed he seemed to hear it. “He wouldn’t hurt her, Simon, not deliberately,” she assured him, her hand going to his arm in some kind of reassuring gesture, though it did little good.

“Even if he were a gentleman.” He shook his head. “How can I talk to River about this? Prepare her for a relationship... She needs a mother or a sister, rather than a useless brother who can’t even get his own romantic life in order.”

“Would you object if I spoke to River on the subject?” Inara asked, since she’d been planning to do anyway.

Besides, she didn’t really need to hear of Simon’s own woes on the subject of love, she knew already how he felt for Kaylee and her own feelings were clear as day. That was for them to figure out between them, like the adults they were. River would require more careful handling, this they both knew.

“I don’t know, Inara,” Simon said awkwardly. “I mean, thank you, for the offer, but she’s not... I don’t know if she needs to be told everything yet,” he said, the change in her expression making him wince. “Oh God, I’ve offended you. Inara, I’m sorry, I wasn’t meaning to imply that-”

“It’s fine, really.” She smiled bravely through a little hurt. “You have heard the way Mal speaks about my profession, Simon, and I at least know your mis-chosen words were unintentional,” she told him. “Believe me, I had no intention of teaching River all I know of being a Companion, only to prepare her for the feelings she might experience, the general basis of courtship and physicalities of a relationship-”

“Yes,” Simon interrupted. “Yes, that would be helpful, thank you,” he said with a smile, glad only that he would not have to broach such a topic with his mei mei.

Brothers and sisters should not have to share conversations regarding such intimacies as far as he was concerned, and having someone like Inara offer to take the strain was very much appreciated.

* * *

Jayne liked his guns, not specifically because they could be used for violence, maiming, and killing, though that wasn’t a bad thing for a mercenary. Mostly Jayne liked them because they belonged to him, because he knew how to control them, and they made sense. Too much in Jayne’s life had ceased to make any sense at all, not least this whole situation he found himself in with River and Daniel.

The boy was no real problem to Jayne himself. For the man who had quite given up on the idea of a wife and family, it was no bad thing to realise he actually had a boy to carry on his family name and such. Ma would be proud and make a whole heap of fuss about it, and Jayne would love the opportunity to take the kid to meet his Grandma sometime.

Of course, the problem with the situation was the boys mother, River. It wasn’t usual for a kid to be born the way theirs was, created in a lab long before the two of them ever met. She’d been a child, he a man strapped for cash. Now they were different and flung together in the oddest of circumstances, her lacking in sanity and him in any kind of gentleness. For years enough now he’d had no reason to need to try and be caring and kind. Though those aboard the ship were like family and he would see no harm came to them, it was hardly the same thing.

Now Jayne had a real family to protect, and he would do it, however weird it was to consider the doctor’s crazy moon-brained sister as tied to him. His dream from the night before flashed through Jayne’s mind even when he tried to push it away and concentrate on putting the weapon in his hands back together. Stupid girl, invading his dreams. She had no business being there, he thought, as he slammed the pieces together too hard and almost broke the mechanism.

Stopping himself before he did damage to either the gun or himself, Jayne took a breath, calmed himself and then continued with his work. He didn’t want to be this guy, didn’t want to get into no gorram mixed-up relationship with River or any woman. He was happy being just as he was for the most part, though Jayne knew when it came to his son he had to change.

Took a different kind of man to be a father than a merc, but it all came down to the same thing - protecting people that matter. In keeping Daniel safe, he’d have to be there for River too, however uncomfortable that might prove to be. Jayne would do it, come what may, he just didn’t have to like it, or admit to feeling anything at all. Deep in his own thoughts and concentrating on both that and his guns, Jayne had no idea he was being watched.

River liked to watch people, liked to feel their thoughts washing over her. Now stood in the doorway to the dining area, she closed her eyes and opened her mind, letting in all that was going on in Jayne’s head. He was worried, about Daniel and about her too. His own feelings bothered him, especially the feelings he had about her. River smiled as Jayne replayed his pretty dream in his head and she saw it just as clear as he did.

It was a beautiful picture, and one day it would be real. There were many obstacles to encounter and overcome before those happy days, but they would come. In the meantime, they had other things to worry about, and Jayne was doing a whole lot of that.

Believing the right thing to do was bring comfort to the man she was destined to be with, River crept into the room in dancing ballet steps that made no sound. Jayne was oblivious to her presence it seemed, until her hand landed gently on his shoulder.

Reacting without a thought in his head but bringing down any attacker that might be behind him, Jayne spun around and off the chair in an instant. River hardly knew what had hit her as the chair went flying and she was pinned to the ground by the man she had only just now meant to talk to.

“Fast reactions like a cat,” she said, smiling in spite of her position trapped beneath Jayne who looked baffled by her presence. “Inside, soft like a kitten too,” she said, eyes sparkling as she put one hand against his chest, felt his heart beat rapidly beneath her palm.

The surprise of what he thought was an attack may have set his pulse racing, but River knew better than to think that was all it was. The position they were in was suggestive to say the least and though it was clear to her he was bothered by it, he didn’t move. Her smile made it clear she was in no hurry to leave either, and that only seemed to worry Jayne more.

“You want to be careful who you’re sneaking up on, girl,” he told her gruffly, still holding her down though letting up his tight grip a little since he knew she was no threat.

“Unexpected reaction.” She nodded solemnly, before her grin returned. “But not unpleasant,” she said, the look on her face decidely too dirty for Jayne’s comfort.

As he realised his next move had to be getting off her before anyone saw, or before he did something really very stupid, there was a gasp from the door. Jayne and River both looked over to see Mal and Inara entering the room.

“Wond Ba Duhn,” the Captain exclaimed. “What in the gorram hell is happenin’ here?” he wanted to know.

The only answer he received was River’s girlish giggling echoing in the now silent room.


	9. Chapter 9

Jayne didn’t much like the way the Captain was looking at him right now. Never let it be said by any man that wanted to go on breathin’ that Jayne Cobb was afraid of anything, but at least in his own head the merc had to admit he was worried right now. After what he saw, Mal was bound to be thinking the worst of him. That bein’ so, there was every chance he was contemplatin’ whether or not Jayne still had a place aboard Serenity.

Now more than ever, Jayne was afraid of losing his job and his home here. Sure as the worlds turned, River wouldn’t give up her boy and neither should she. If Jayne was thrown off the ship, even if he was lucky enough to remain livin’ and not be tossed out the airlock for what Mal thought he’d done, there was every chance he’d never see Daniel again. That hurt Jayne more than any punch or wound could, he reckoned. Still, as all this went on inside his usually dopey brain, not a flicker of emotion showed on his face or in his eyes as he stared back at Mal across the room, waiting for the Captain to start his yelling.

“You known me a long time now, Jayne,” he said eventually, his tone surprisingly calm. “You know what I will and won’t stand for on my ship, I think I made that plenty clear.”

“True enough, Mal,” Jayne agreed with a single nod. “but what you think I did-”

“I don’t know what you did,” Mal cut him off the moment he’d begun. “Only know what I saw and that ain’t lookin’ so good for you, but never let it be said I ain’t a reasonable man when it comes to my crew,” he continued, as he pulled out the chair at the end of the table and sat himself down. “Now, you tell me just exactly what happened between you and young River,” he said, as Jayne bristled a little at the over emphasis on the word ‘young’.

“You tell me somethin’ first,” said Jayne, fingering the chair back in front of him as if uncertain yet whether he wanted to be sitting or not. “You gonna believe a damn word I say?” he checked.

Mal stared at him a long moment before a weird smile came to his lips and he reached across to the centre of the table, picking up one of the many guns Jayne had been cleaning minutes earlier.

“I guess we’ll find out,” he said, holding the weapon comfortably in his hand, “when you get to actually talkin’. Yo Hua Kwai Suo.”

* * *

Inara sat in her shuttle, in what ought to be a comfortable spot, making tea. Unfortunately, this was not a drink to be shared with a client or a friend as she might like, neither was she sitting particularly comfortably despite the soft furnishings around her. The person she was sharing her space with for the moment was one very mixed up young woman by the name of River, whose moods swung as wildly as the natural flow of water she was named after was prone to do.

The Companion was not a stranger to talking freely about all kinds of love and affection, after all it constituted the basis of her work, but this was different. River was not the average seventeen year old girl, and Jayne was hardly a gentleman. A union between the two seemed preposterous and yet there was something there, and it was not all about Daniel.

Now, as Inara looked across at River, staring out of the shuttle window at the darkness of space and the stars that twinkled in the distance, she was the perfect picture, the ideal combination of woman and child. She appeared innocent and calm in her silence, and yet the way she was sitting in the pilots chair caused her dress to shift against her body, showing a womanly figure beneath.

“Would you like to come and sit over here, River?” Inara offered. “I have prepared tea.”

“Camellia sinensis,” she said softly, though not in direct response to the question it seemed, until she turned and smiled at Inara. “I’d love to,” she said, getting up and coming over to seat herself beside the Companion.

Accepting a cup from her, the pair looked like quite the young ladies of society as they sat together, silently sipping their tea. The moment was broken by an awfully unladylike choking sound from Inara just as soon as River spoke again.

“Lets talk about sex,” she said quite plainly, not a hint of concern or shame on her face or in her tone as the words fell from her young lips.

“River, sweetheart, I really don’t-” the Companion began, the moment she regained her composure and set her cup down on the table.

“It’s why I’m here,” the girl interrupted, copying the action of putting down her tea. “You are an expert, I am an amateur. We learn from those who know better than us in any subject.” She shrugged as if she were saying the most simple thing in the world.

Unfortunately, Inara had no way to argue with the girl’s reasoning. What she said was entirely correct, every word, and yet her frankness was surprising to the Companion.

“You know your brother is concerned about you,” she said gently. “Men are ill-equipped to discuss emotions and the physicalities of relationships, I find,” she explained at which River sighed heavily.

“Simon’s a boob.” She rolled her eyes. “He thinks the young one knows nothing when she knows everything of something and nothing of nothing at all,” she said, all in riddles and confusing Inara to no end. “Jayne knows things.” She smiled then, the look ill-befitting what ought to be an innocent face.

Of course, Inara wasn’t so naive she thought River could really be so uninformed. So much was in her head, so much even she didn’t understand. Still, it was quite important to herself as well as Simon and even Mal that she figured out just exactly what River was thinking and feeling, especially where the ship’s muscle was concerned. They were not an obvious pairing after all.

“I’m sure Jayne knows a great many things.” Inara nodded. “But what exactly are you referring to River?” she checked, almost afraid of what might be said next.

No answer came at first as the young girl stared at the Companion, eyes looking at her in such a way that it was almost unnerving. It was as if she were searching for something unseen inside Inara, and apparently she found it as a smile curved her lips.

“You know what I feel,” she said slowly and deliberately as she stared still unblinking and yet smiling too. “You know too well, because the light shines as bright for your bad man as mine.” She giggled like a school-girl as Inara frowned.

“River, I don’t think I understand,” she admitted, though that was at least in part a lie.

The young girl’s strange emphasis on the word bad suggested she did not refer only to a man’s character but something more. As for light shining, she could only imagine River was making the suggestion that they were both feeling the same thing, both falling in love with unsuitable men. Inara recoiled as she realised that River’s ability to read people was perhaps as good as her own, if she had seen what was between her and Mal.

“French for bad,” she whispered to herself when she realised what River’s use of the word had really meant, only feeling more uncomfortable when her young friend nodded her head in agreement.

“Men are dumb,” she declared then, rolling her eyes in much the same way as when she had referred to her brother as a ‘boob’ moments before. “They don’t see things the way we do.”

“Indeed.” Inara had to agree with that, even as her mind raced on how this carefully planned conversation had got so very out of her control.

“But they like us, care for us, love us, want us badly,” she said, suddenly leaning back in her seat with her eyes closed, like a thought too large for her head had occurred to her, or perhaps a feeling too immense for her body to bear had overtaken.

“River?” Inara said carefully reaching out a tentative hand to the girls’ arm.

She jumped just slightly when River’s other hand covered her own and her eyes shot open.

“Every woman wants to be wanted,” she said, expression as serious as the worlds turned. “I am woman.”

Inara met her eyes as she turned her hand over and held onto River’s own. It came out like a statement, but it was equally as much a question, a search for reassurance. It seemed to Inara that there was so much River could not be sure of anymore after all that she had been through. Whatever it was she saw between herself and Jayne, that seemed real, and she wanted that. She wanted so badly to be a normal young woman, in spite of the fact deep down she knew it was probably impossible.

“Yes, River.” Inara smiled kindly. “You are a woman, but a very young woman,” she said gently. “My concern is only that you... that you don’t understand what you’re getting yourself into.”

“Do you?” came River’s cheeky reply with an expression to match as she scrambled forward in her seat and picked up her tea once again and sipped it. “Bleurgh! Cold,” she declared with a look of distaste as she replaced he cup on the table and got to her feet.

“River!” Inara called after her as she moved towards the door to leave.

“Don’t worry,” her young friend told her. “Mother knows best.” She smiled as she skipped out of the door.

Inara watched her go, and shook her head slightly. She wasn’t sure who was left with the most to think about after that conversation, but honestly, she doubted very much it was River!

* * *

“And that’s how we was... how we was when you and Inara came in,” Jayne finished his explanation as best he could, ever mindful of the gun Mal had been holding in his hand this whole time.

The Captain did not seem forthcoming with any kind of response, be it a shot from the weapon he held or a tirade of cursings and warnings. Jayne would prefer either of these things to the stony silence he was getting.

“Damn it, Mal!” he cursed when he felt he’d waited too long for an answer. “If you’re gonna gorram shoot me-”

“Why would I do that, Jayne?” the Captain interrupted, placing the gun back on the table and fixing the merc with a definite and hard stare. “You tell me you made no moves on young River, the tale you tell is plausible enough and she didn’t seem to mind none about the predicament you two was in.”

“Girl’s half-baked,” Jayne muttered, though Mal continued on as if not a word had been spoken.

“All I’ll say on the matter is this, so you better listen good, dong ma?” he said as he stood from his seat and pointed a finger down at the member of his crew that he often had such trouble with. “You take care with her. You and River, you got a connection now, via this kid you two made, however he might’ve come to be,” he explained. “Now if she gets what you might call mixed signals from you, she’s gonna behave in such a way as to cause an upset. I don’t want her gettin’ no ideas she shouldn’t for a mighty jumbled young ‘un, you hear me?”

“Loud and clear, Cap’n.” Jayne nodded once, a serious expression on his face. “I don’t want her gettin’ no designs on me anyhow,” he said, though a little voice in the back of his usually empty head called him a liar almost immediately.

“That’s good.” Mal nodded once, turning to leave the room but stopping by the door and looking back with a surprisingly sunny smile on his face, despite the words he delivered. “And Jayne, I ever come to find you took any advantage of that girl in any way, I will put you back in that airlock, and I’ll mean it this time.”


	10. Chapter 10

“Ma, look!” Daniel cried excitedly as he attempted to drag River across the road to a store window, cutting right in front of Mal who had to stop short for fear of tripping over the young ‘uns.

“Don’t get mad, Cap’n,” Kaylee urged him, seeing his frustrated expression. “He’s just excited about seeing things he ain’t never seen before.”

“I know that, little Kaylee,” her Captain told her, attempting a smile that didn’t come out quite right, “but right now I could use him not drawing too much attention to us all, especially with his Ma and Uncle, as well as himself, being fugitives of different kinds,” he said in a low voice, so he would not be heard.

“I don’t think any harm’s going to come to ‘em.” The mechanic smiled brightly, gesturing across at where the pair stood talking animatedly about the colourful toys beyond the glass.

Behind them stood Jayne, less enthralled by the sights to be seen, but constantly on his guard in case of attack. This past week or more it had become increasingly obvious that his son meant the world to him. He was a proud Daddy each and every time Daniel proved himself to be smart or manly. The relationship between the parents and their son was strong and steadfast, what was troubling the Captain and the Companion member of his crew most of all, was the possible connection between those two parents and each other.

Though Kaylee seemed oblivious to the possible attachment, Simon wished to live in denial, and the rest of the crew seemed to pay no mind to the situation having lives of their own to worry on, neither Mal nor Inara could so easily dismiss the wondering in the back of their minds when it came to Jayne and River. They had not spoken to either of the unlikely couple on the subject, since that day they’d first discovered him on top of her in the galley. With that explained away by Jayne, and Mal ever mindful of the need to trust his crew, he’d let the matter alone and his close eye on the pair had revealed nothing overly sinister that required a mention.

For Inara’s part, she was waiting for River to move first. Though Jayne appeared oblivious to anything the young girl might feel of him, Inara couldn’t believe for a moment that even a man lacking in brains as he was could be so blind. Still, it was obvious to her what Mal’s warning had been. For Jayne to even think about touching River in any kind of way would mean instant punishment of the worst kind. The only way they were going to get closer was if River chose to be bold, and the more Inara watched the girl watching Jayne, the more she suspected that moment was not so very far away.

Inara did not share her suspicions with anyone, for fear of making matters worse. She only hoped that if River felt she needed guidance of any kind she would come to her, and that Jayne would react in some kind of proper way if and when the moment came. As it was, they spent little time together without Daniel present, and Inara didn’t doubt it was because being alone together with River made Jayne entirely nervous. Whether or not he was afraid of what his own actions might be or just hers, Inara couldn’t be certain, but either way, she would continue to keep an eye on them.

“Hey, what’s going on in that pretty head of yours?” Mal asked her with a frown, catching her attention and making the Companion realise her thoughts had distracted her entirely and made her miss a whole conversation.

“Nothing of consequence to you,” she said with a smile, hoping he would leave it at that as she turned to take Kaylee’s arm and lead her away to look at dresses and such.

“Sure as the worlds turn I don’t reckon on ever understanding womenfolk.” Mal sighed to himself as Wash moved up beside him and slapped him on the back.

“Take it from a wedded man,” he said with a wry smile. “You’re not supposed to.”

* * *

Shepherd Book was almost bowled over as he opened the cargo bay doors to let the rest of the crew aboard and Daniel came pelting in ahead of the group. In his hand he carried a model of a craft much fancier than Serenity herself which he swooped around making the necessary whooshing sounds as children were prone to do.

“Somebody seems happy.” Book smiled as River came by next, grinning at the sight of her child running around happily and playing with his new toy.

“Well then somebody ain’t me, Preacher,” said Mal sharply as he and Jayne followed behind, lugging a crate that was clearly too heavy even for the two strong men to carry easily.

Book was lending a hand in an instant, as Wash, Zoe, and Simon all struggled together with a second overly heavy box, Kaylee following on behind looking scared half to death that someone was going do themselves harm. With the two large boxes soon well inside the ship, the door was immediately closed to prevent anyone else getting aboard, as Mal stood up straight and wiped sweat from his brow.

“I know fewer boxes means less to hide,” said Zoe, a little breathlessly at his side, “but it sure would’ve been easier to carry if they’d separated it out a little.”

“I’ll... second... that,” Wash agreed with is wife as he gulped in air, clearly more affected than anyone by the exertion, save for the doctor who was now sat on one of the boxes, looking wobbly to say the least.

“What can I say folks.” Mal shrugged his aching shoulders. “’S not as if smuggling feathers would make us near as much cash,” he told his tired crew. “Any problems here, Preacher?” he checked with Book who shook his head in the negative.

“Nothing to report, Captain,” he assured him.

“Good to hear,” came the response with a curt nod. “Then let’s you and me stow this stuff away, Jayne,” he told the merc. “And Wash...” he continued as the pilot waved a hand at him, bending over almost double.

“We’ll be back up in the black... just as soon as my legs will carry me... to the bridge,” he said unevely.

“C’mon, honey.” Zoe smiled as she put an arm around him and helped her poor flailing husband out.

“I gots things to be doin’ too,” said Kaylee as she wandered off, along with Simon, Book, and Inara, leaving just the Captain and Jayne to store away Serenity’s newest cargo, and River chasing Daniel around the open space.

They were somewhat of a distraction, Jayne found, not only his sons whooping and hollering as he played his games, but also her. For the life of him, he couldn’t figure if River was deliberately catching his eye or not. It was like she gave off some kind of signal that made him want to watch her as she pranced around the cargo bay, the perfect combination of girlish innocence and womanly wiles.

“Jayne!” Mal snapped, catching the merc’s attention and almost making him drop the heavy crate he ought to have been concentrating all his energies on. “You keep your mind on your job, dong ma? Ain’t in the mood for repeating myself none today,” he said with a look that conveyed all that he meant quite well.

“Oh, hell, Mal, that ain’t fair,” Jayne hissed. “Ain’t my fault the girl’s... making eyes at me. I never done asked for that,” he said definitely as the pair pushed the second crate out of site and the Captain set about screwing the false panel back into place.

“Whether you asked for it or not, you got it,” he pointed out, whilst they were still crouched beside each other on the ground. “I warned you to take care with her. You may not be the smartest fella I know, but you’re a damn sight more worldly wise than young River, so you think on,” he said, pointing a finger at the man before getting to his feet and walking away up the steps towards the bridge.

Alone in the cargo bay with his odd little family, Jayne was hardly aware of Daniel til the kid came bounding over to him, rattling on about his toy ship and how grateful he was to his Pa for buying it for him. It was apparently the greatest present he’d ever gotten, but then the thought occurred to Jayne it was probably the only gift he’d ever had, given how he came into the world and how and where he was raised.

“You’re welcome, son,” he said with a half-smile as he ruffled the boy’s hair. “Now, why don’t you go bug your Uncle Simon a while,” he suggested as he got to his feet and stared across the cargo bay at River who smiled still. “I gotta talk to your Ma,” he said definitely, the look he sent her way pretty serious and almost threatening, though she never batted an eye.

River’s eyes didn’t shift, holding that steady gaze with one of her own. Jayne did not intimidate or frighten her, he never had. From the very beginning she had felt it, the connection, the knowing that something was going to happen, something good. Still, it had been that day on Ariel when she had really seen the truth of it all. From that moment to this and beyond, she would not worry or wonder when it came to Jayne Cobb. She knew what their destiny was to be and she would not fight it, even if he would try, and heaven knows he always did that.

“You and me gotta have a talk, girl,” he said staring across at her still but coming no closer yet.

“Talking is not your strong point, nor mine anymore,” she said regretfully, knowing here and now in her lucid state that she was not always so clear of mind, and wouldn’t be again. “We are people of action, all aboard this ship,” she said as she moved towards Jayne and he approached her just the same from the other direction.

“Maybe so,” he agreed with her, “but you and me ain’t makin’ no actions together, you hear?” he told her. “I see you watchin’ me, gettin’ ideas.” He smirked as if he was proud of it, in spite of the fact the very point of this whole conversation was to get her to stop making eyes at him every time he turned around.

“Ideas,” she echoed, shaking her head as she laughed. “No. Ideas are theories, what ifs and maybes,” she told him. “No ideas, only facts, certainities.” She nodded once as they stood toe to toe by now and she stared up at him with a smile on her face. “Copper for a kiss,” she said, her soft tone so close to his ear it almost made him shiver, the words so familiar his blood ran cold.

“You talk trash,” he said, trying to look and sound menacing, but everything came out wrong where this girl was concerned, not half so convincing as it was meant to be.

“And you talk too much,” she shot back, her eyes falling shut as she stood so close to him, poised as if waiting for him to make some kind of move, to kiss her perhaps.

All Jayne could do was stand and stare at her. He wasn’t blind, or even as stupid as folk seemed to think he was. He knew River Tam had a pretty face and a fine figure for a young woman to possess. Unfortunately, he also knew the trouble he’d get himself and her into if he admitted such a thing or made any moves to tell or show her the same. Besides, her riddles she talked and crazy fits she had, Jayne didn’t doubt those folks back on Jiangyin had been right about one other thing where River was concerned; she had to be some kind of witch, the way she was drawing him in, because in this moment he had the weirdest urge to kiss her and then some.

A twist of fate meant he never got the chance to make a decision for himself on the question of to kiss or not to kiss. The comm across the way crackled to life and River’s eyes shot open as both she and Jayne looked over and heard the Captain’s voice echo through the cargo bay.

“Jayne?! Get your butt up here on the bridge!” he demanded, bringing the merc out of a daze he never should’ve got himself into.

Glancing briefly at River he was gone on a second, bolting up the steps as fast as his legs would take him. The young woman stared behind him, a smirk on her face to rival any that had ever been seen on his own.

“You’ll see,” she said more to herself than anyone else as she was left alone, and turned to leave the cargo bay her ownself. “Buckle up, it’s going to be a bumpy ride.”


	11. Chapter 11

“You any idea why your good friend Barney might be headed back our way, Jayne?” Mal asked his merc the moment he arrived on the bridge. “He the double-crossing kind or can we expect more little Jaynes and Rivers a-runnin’ around our feet?” he asked as he turned from the window to the man he spoke to.

“Barney was honest as the day was long when we were growin’ up,” said Jayne thoughtfully, scratching the back of his neck. “Nothin’ to say he’s the good kind now but I don’t want no more kids!” he said definitely. “Got me enough trouble with the one I do got. Mostly with his mother,” he muttered the last part so as not to start a fight over his intentions where River was concerned.

Gorram girl was giving him all kinds of problems, not least that she knew just how to make him get all revved up over her when she knew as well as he did Mal would throw him through the engine if he so much a touched a hair on her head... and that wasn’t what he wanted to be touching. Sure, he could try tellin’ the girl he didn’t like her none, could tell the Cap’n, the crew, and even himself that, but it didn’t make it true. She had this way of drawing him in and it was getting harder and harder to ignore - though perhaps, he realised on reflection, there was a better phrase to use than that...

“Jayne!” Mal snapped when he got no response from him. “Listen to me when I talk, else you’re no damn use to me, dong ma?” he told him, starting to lose his temper. “Now, you know why your old friend Barney might be headed this way? You think he might’ve come to know the value of what he brought here? He might be wanting to take it back?”

“Nah, not Barney.” Jayne shook his head. “He was the soft kind for kids and such. Hell, he was so set on getting a wife and kids and all, I’m surprised his ship ain’t jam-packed wall to wall with young ‘uns he made,” he explained.

“Still might pay to be on our guard sir,” Zoe suggested from her place beside her husband who at last seemed to be breathing properly and able to pilot Serenity without passing out on the console.

“Whatever decision you guys are making, you might wanna make it fast,” he suggested. “We got incoming,” he said as the comm screen crackled into life and the face of a dark-haired woman appeared, the same woman who had helped carry aboard the box in which Daniel had been held.

“This is Lieutenant Remy Harris, requesting to board Serenity for urgent medical assistance,” she said, her tone even despite the apparent emergency.

“This is Captain Malcolm Reynolds,” said Mal in reply, pressing the appropriate button on the console so she would hear and see him. “Last we saw you it was Barney we dealt with. Where’s he at now?”

“Captain Reynolds, my own Captain has been shot,” Remy told him, as Jayne’s eyes went wide at the news. “We don’t have the facilities or expertise we need to fix him,” she explained, and there was truth in her looks and tone as Mal studied her face. “We hoped to beg a favour from you, Captain Reynolds, since you have a doctor there-”

“No begging required,” he cut her off, certain she was being genuine with him and pretty certain there was nothing to fear. “You and your men bring Barney onboard, I’ll see he gets what he needs,” he said with a nod, signalling for Wash to move alongside the other ship and prepare for the crew of it to come aboard.

* * *

“Do you know how many gun-shot wounds he has, or where the bullets hit?” Simon was asking Jayne on their way down to the cargo bay.

“Only know he’s been shot, okay?” the merc snapped. “Geez, Doc, you ask a lot of dumb questions,” he complained as they joined Mal and Zoe who were armed just in case of a mistake or a problem - it never hurt to be prepared.

Nobody noticed that River and Daniel were hovering behind the door, out of view from whoever was coming aboard, but able to see all that was happening. Of course, River had a feeling she already knew what was coming. A chill in her blood told her it wasn’t good and yet she knew that trying to warn the crew would do no good. They seldom if ever listened, thinking all she said was crazy talk and lacking truth or wisdom. They forgot how smart she had been, how smart she still was when she had control of her own mind as she did now. It was irrelevant anyway, this had to happen, and pain would come, but so would the truth and for that River was both eager and prepared.

“Okay, Wash,” said Mal with a nod of his head as his pilot hit the button and the doors opened to reveal the crew of the ship they had been communicating with.

At the front stood Remy, the woman who appeared to be in charge, flanked by a pair of armed men. Behind them were two more men, carrying a stretcher that caught Simon’s attention. Though the man strapped to it had definitely suffered gun shot wounds, from here the doctor was not so sure he’d survived his injuries, but he didn’t say a word yet.

“Captain Reynolds.” Remy smiled, an almost wicked smirk from the woman in black. “I’m afraid your offer of help might have been in vain,” she sighed, though she looked hardly moved at all as the two men came forward with the stretcher and dumped it in the centre of the cargo bay.

“Ai Yah Tien Ah!” Jayne exclaimed as he looked down at the man before him, his good friend Barney who looked dead or close to it.

Immediately, Simon dropped to his knees beside the stretcher and checked the man for body-warmth, breath, and a pulse - he had none.

“He’s dead,” he told Mal, looking confused and a little panicked. “And not all that recently,” he said.

“Seems to me you have some explaining to do, Miss,” the Captain said, shooting Remy a steely look and cocking the gun in his hand.

“Well, you see, Captain,” she said, the picture of innocence for all of five seconds. “It’s a little like this,” she said as one of men stepped forward and made a grab at the doctor, aiming the barrel of his gun at the man’s head. “You have something we want, and I reckon threatening to blow the brains out of your medic should get me that something pretty easy.” She smiled wickedly.

“Simon!” Kaylee gasped, running out from the womenfolk's hiding place, despite Inara trying to stop her.

Thankfully the Shepherd blocked her way before she got in the line of fire.

“Whatever you want from us, it can’t be worth a man’s life,” Book told Remy and her crew.

“’S worth as many men’s lives as I have to take, Preacher Man,” she snapped. “Already got me one corpse.” She shrugged as she gazed down at Barney with a sad smile now. “And he actually meant somethin’ to me, once upon a time.”

“Boo hway-hun duh puo-foo!” said Jayne, voice menacingly low as he lunged at her, ready for a fight.

“Keep your man in line, Captain!” she yelled, as the merc was ordered to calm down immediately and obeyed for once. “We don’t need to fight about this, just give me what I want”

“And what might that be?” Zoe asked. “We have nothing worth taking,” she said, though she knew that was untrue, the cargo stored just a few feet away worth enough money to satisfy.

“The package we delivered to you,” said Remy simply. “That’s what I want.”

“Well you ain’t gorram gettin’ it,” Jayne said definitely, ready for anything this gang wanted to throw at him, because there was no way in hell they were taking his boy from him.

The only way this was going to end was for it to start. Everyone present was armed and prepared, this wasn’t going to be settled with talking. Charging at Remy with his gun ready, Jayne didn’t care much what happened to him or anyone else, he just knew on a primal level he had to stop these assholes from taking his boy. Seeing the damage that might occur to all, Zoe had her gun up in a second, ensuring the man holding Simon got no chance to carry out his threat by planting a bullet in his shoulder and sending him reeling.

So began an all out gun battle which even the Shepherd was drawn into. As he’d said once before, the bible had very definite ideas about the killing of men, but had no particular advice on wounding. Since this was clearly for the greater good, the protection of a child that had already suffered enough, he would do his part and stand by Mal, Zoe, Jayne, Wash, and the now free Simon to fight this fight.

Inara kept Kaylee back, away from the action. They would be more hindrance than help if they got involved, neither one of them as well-practised with a gun as those that fought. They would be more use getting River and Daniel out of danger, Inara realised, as she spotted them hovering in a doorway, in full view of Remy and her crew if they got the chance to look that way.

Dragging Kaylee with her, Inara bolted towards the door and pushed River back through it, closing it behind them.

“It’s not safe, mei mei,” she told her breathlessly. “If they see you, they will take you, perhaps both of you, and we can’t risk that,” she explained.

“What are we gonna do then?” said Kaylee frantically, as she was bundled down the corridor, both she and the Companion assuming River and Daniel were following them. “We can’t just run and hide and let the others get hurt.”

“We have no choice, we’ll be no help in a gunfight,” Inara told her gently. “Daniel and River’s safety is paramount, they can’t defend themselves,” she said, not noticing that the pair she spoke of were not staying out as they’d been told. “Perhaps it would be best if we went to my shuttle, we could get away from here faster and...”

The sound of the door mechanism behind them caused both Inara and Kaylee to swing around just in time to see it open and River and Daniel pass through into the cargo bay.

“River!” they yelled behind her but to no avail and though they ran to catch her the door was closed when they reached it and somehow locked.

“What’s she doin?” Kaylee asked worriedly as Inara tried in vain to make the door give way, but nothing worked.

“I don’t know,” she admitted with a shake of her head a she peered through the glass panel. “I can’t think she would put Daniel in danger for anything in the world.”

“Maybe she got a plan in her head,” the mechanic wondered aloud, praying at the same time to anyone who might listen that whatever River’s plan was, it worked.

Beyond the door, the girl in question hid her boy behind her skirts as she darted behind any objects she could, moving closer towards the fight that continued in the cargo bay. At least two of Remy’s men were already dead, not including the one who had been gone from this world long before they arrived. The crew of Serenity were still intact, though wounded one and all. River felt their pain, all of it, knowing she and her son were the cause. Still the thought of family would heal, they stood together and love bound them all.

“No!” Daniel cried as he saw his father in peril.

River was simply not fast enough to stop her son, having been so tuned in to other people and events. He was gone from her side in an instant, picking up an abandoned gun just a few feet from the action. As Remy’s men held onto Jayne, she aimed her weapon to end his days. With Book and Simon distracted by the Captain who had fallen wounded and Zoe and Wash pre-occupied with the men that remained to fight against them, there was no-one to assist the merc who was in severe trouble of losing his life.

A shot rang out through the cargo bay, one sound that echoed louder than any other. Remy turned her head slowly to look down upon the very boy she’d come here to kidnap for the sake of a ransom she now knew to be on his head. She had been willing to kill for the money she would make, and Barney was the proof of it. Her next victim was to be Jayne Cobb and yet she would not get the chance. The blood that flowed from her body told her she stood no chance now and she slumped to the ground like a felled tree.

Daniel’s hand was shaking as he lowered the gun and River ran to his side. Jayne was as stunned as anyone by what had happened, but he couldn’t dwell on that now. He took the opportunity of a distraction to punch and kick his way free and ensure that the two men who had held him paid for that. He soon had them back through the cargo bay doors, where Zoe and Wash had fought back two more. Before long they were all surrendering.

“You two,” Zoe ordered the men at the end of the row, in charge in the absence of her injured Captain. “Pick her up and take her the hell off this boat,” she ordered, as the two scuttled over to their bleeding and barely conscious leader.

“Fools,” she cackled as she was lifted from the ground and practically dragged towards the doors.

River whipped her head around, faster than lightening, not because of what Remy had said or the way she laughed, but because she knew the final moved the bitch would make.

“Daniel!” she yelled, rushing to the boy who was half way between herself and the injured Jayne. “No!” she screamed as she dove in front of him, just as Remy swung around and fired off her last shot.

The force of the gun fire knocked her flying into those who would help her, the three of them almost tumbling to the ground. Still, all eyes were on River as she flew graceful as a bird in front of Daniel, yet landed heavy as lead against the ground as the bullet meant for her boy embedded in her body instead.


	12. Chapter 12

“Cap’n!” Kaylee gasped as she made a grab at him, intent on getting a hug out of the man she was so afraid for, that and she just needed to be held by the man who had been Daddy to her for many a year now.

“Easy there, mei mei,” he urged her, mindful of the gun-shot wound he’d received during the fight in the cargo bay.

Of course, there was one much worse off than he was, and he suspected that was what had gotten Kaylee so teary-eyed. She was so gorram scared of losing any of the crew, and though he wasn’t about to be yellin’ it to the whole ship, Mal was just as worried about poor River. He’d been in and out the Medical Bay much faster than he usually was, and yet the poor little one was still there and likely to be for some time.

“Wash, you make damn sure those wond ba duhns got far away from here?” the Captain asked his pilot who immediately nodded his head.

“They weren’t dumb enough to hang around, sir,” Zoe answered for her husband.

Mal nodded in understanding as he rubbed Kaylee’s back and ensured she was no longer crying. The look on Inara’s face suggested she was just as close to tears, but there was to be no sympathy for the rest of the crew. Though they were all hurt in battle one way or another, either physically or emotionally, the real feelings had to be for River and those that would suffer so much if anything happened to her.

Simon held it together well in the circumstances, but at least he had things he could do to help. Concentrating on his doctoring stopped him frettin’ too much and that suited Mal just fine. He figured there’d be enough to deal with when it came to the boy who’s Ma was comatose, as well as the little one’s father.

“I never seen Jayne like this,” said Kaylee, with a shake of her head, as the collective crew gazed through the glass into the Medical Bay.

“I believe the only time I ever saw him worried for anyone was when you yourself took a bullet, Kaylee,” Shepherd Book told her, closing up the bible he’d been seeking solace in. “This is quite out of character.”

“Love does strange things to people,” said Inara, as Mal turned his head sharply to look at her.

He’d like to protest and say she was talking nonsense. Jayne Cobb didn’t love, he couldn’t possibly, that was what everybody thought, but Mal knew he couldn’t say so. He knew much of Jayne’s behaviour was just an outer shell he showed to the world. Scratch the surface enough and there was a decent man underneath. Captain Reynolds knew it most because he was just the same, but also because of the look he’d seen in Jayne’s eyes moments after River Tam was shot...

_“Fools,” Remy cackled as she was lifted from the ground and practically dragged towards the doors._

_River whipped her head around, faster than lightening, not because of what Remy had said or the way she laughed, but because she knew the final moved the bitch would make._

_“Daniel!” she yelled, rushing to the boy who was half way between herself and the injured Jayne. “No!” she screamed as she dove in front of him, just as Remy swung around and fired off her last shot._

_The force of the gun fire knocked her flying into those who would help her, the three of them almost tumbling to the ground. Still, all eyes were on River as she flew graceful as a bird in front of Daniel, yet landed heavy as lead against the ground as the bullet meant for her boy embedded in her body instead._

_“No!” Simon and Jayne’s voices combined in the oddest way as they both ran to River, kneeling either side of her body, the latters own wounds apparently forgotten in that instant._

_“Zoe, get this scum off my boat!” Mal demanded of his second, who with the help of the others ensured Remy’s crew was soon gone, shifting Barney’s body off the ship along with them._

_The Captain pulled himself shakily to his feet as Kaylee finally got the mechanism on the internal door working and ran across the cargo bay with Inara on her heels._

_“No, come on, girly,” Jayne urged River as she dropped in and out of consciousness before his eyes._

_“River, sweetheart, can you hear me?” her brother urged her as he checked the injury she’d sustained. “Oh God,” he gasped at the amount of blood she was losing._

_Jayne took not a moment to react, ripping off the T-shirt he wore and handing it to the doctor. Simon knew what it was for and immediately used the material to soak up the blood and apply pressure to the bullet wound. Unfortunately, that wasn’t going to be nearly enough to ensure her survival or safety. River needed immediate and skilful medical attention, something the crew were at least assured that Simon could give her, if only he could keep his head when it was his sister on the operating table._

_“You look at me, Simon,” Mal demanded, having to say it twice before he got a reaction. “Hey, I know what she means to you, but if you’re gonna save her now you gotta be Doc first and kin after, dong ma?” he said definitely looking the younger man right in the eyes._

_“Yes.” Simon nodded once, knowing the Captain was right, indeed he was only reiterating words the doctor had already told himself in his own head, but it was worth them being repeated._

_“If you’re gonna be a doctor, be a gorram doctor, boy!” Jayne yelled at the man crouched beside him, the look in his own eyes almost wild._

_It was strange to think he should care so much for River’s welfare. Not a month ago, the rest of the crew was sure he’d be only too happy to have both the Tams off this ship whatever way they could be. Now, he looked as scared as they’d ever seen him that he might lose River._

_“Where’s Daniel?” Inara said suddenly, causing more problems than she solved as Jayne found he had two things to worry on now._

_“Don’t worry, we’ll find him,” the Shepherd told him kindly, looking to Wash for assistance which was immediately given. “You concentrate on River,” he added as they hurried of to track down the missing boy._

_“See what you did?” Jayne muttered to River who lay motionless now. “Damn scaring everybody with your tricks”_

_“We need to get a a stretcher, get her to the medical bay, everything I need is there,” Simon was saying as he scrambled to his feet, feeling completely overwhelmed by this whole ordeal, and desperately trying to keep his head against all odds._

_“No time for that,” said Jayne immediately, and before anyone could argue he’d swept River up in his arms like a true hero._

_“Move your asses, people. Ain’t got no time for this,” he told the crew who immediately got out of his way, letting him move across the cargo bay towards the door._

_Jayne Cobb was the very picture of determination in that moment, unwilling to let the young woman in his arms suffer too long, or worse. She obviously meant a lot more to him than anyone might have ever suspected, and he would prove it again and again as the crew shared the long wait for River to be okay._

Jayne was hardly aware he was being watched, though there always seemed to be one member of the crew or other peering in at him through the glass. He’d been sat in the medical bay God only knew how long, but he wasn’t done yet. In the panic that had followed River’s shooting he’d made her a promise, perhaps in the last moment of consciousness she’d manage before she was out like a light. He would be there at her side until she woke again. Jayne Cobb liked to think he was a man of his word. On this occasion at least, he would be.

Couldn’t blame the doctor for needing to sleep, though he hadn’t wanted to leave his sister til he was practically falling flat on the floor with exhaustion. The operation had taken a lot out of him, especially the emotion that was attached to it because this was his sister. Poor girl was deathly pale from her ordeal, and banged up like some kind of war veteran - Jayne hated that.

He was the one that got shot up, took the bullets and the knife wounds and the punches, to save others on his crew from being hurt. For the longest time he hadn’t seen the Tams as part of his crew, until suddenly they were his family, in an even more definite way than he saw the others that had surrounded him as such these past years. River was different, in all kind of ways, and no-one was ever going to deny it. Still, it was only since Daniel had arrived onboard that he’d started to see a different side of her. He told himself she was playing games with him. The girl was some kind of witch, had mind powers and such to get at him, but honestly, Jayne knew better than that. Despite popular opinion, he wasn’t completely dumb and a part of him knew if she were just a little older or a little less whimsical in the brainpan he’d have been all over her in a second.

“Yeah, I admit it,” he said aloud, though in a much softer tone than one would usually expect from such a man. “You’re somethin’ to look at, River Tam,” he told her, though she slept on, supposedly unaware of anything he said. “Know damn well you got me all riled up before, ‘s what you was meanin’ to do and it gorram worked, but that ain’t it,” he said with a shake of his head as he considered it.

Though he was sat close to the bed on which she lay, he also kept his distance. He’d carried her here to the medical bay without a moments hesitation, and he’d even assisted with the operation to save her life, but he never touched her, not really. Those that loved held hands, gave kisses, showed affection in ways that Jayne never had, never really knew how to.

River always looked so delicate and fragile, despite the fact he knew something stronger lived beneath the surface. He was certain it was there, from the look in her eyes at times, from the way she held herself, like she was ready to fight if he had to. He only hoped she was fighting now, that she wouldn’t let go, because he couldn’t stand it.

“Y’know, you’re scarin’ my boy somethin’ fierce,” he told her off, trying to be stern but it came out flat. “He, er, he don’t much like seein’ his Ma like this, and... and I don’t either,” he said awkwardly.

Seemed like a bright idea telling her about Daniel, if only because it stopped him having to talk about himself, and how he really felt about all of this. It didn’t come natural to Jayne to care so much, even though he knew he did feel it. There was an instant connection when he realised Daniel was his son, and he suspected that had extended to River, making him feel close to her too. Still, he knew there was more to it than that. Hell, he’d admitted he liked the way she looked, more than liked maybe but that wasn’t the point. If he believed in all that crap, Jayne would say they had a connection, something decided on before they even knew each other existed. Maybe that was why Daniel was made, maybe he was what started it, there was no way to know. All Jayne knew was that he felt it, and it was downright unsettlin’!

“Y’know, everyone thought you were damn brave takin’ that bullet for the kid,” he told the woman laid out before him, hand hovering over hers as if he meant to hold onto it, but he changed his mind again, as he had each and every time these past few hours.

Jayne was just so mindful of hurting her, being as he was all ham-fisted and uncaring usually. Course he had the means to be more gentle, if that were the word but it was true, else he’d have damaged the delicate parts of the weaponry he loved so much. Still, River wasn’t cold metal and such, she was flesh and blood, and too much of the latter had been lost.

“Weird thing is, what’s in there now is as much mine as yours,” Jayne told her, his hand going to the opposite area where a small wound existed, a deliberate mark made by the doctor to extract his blood for River’s transfusion.

Being connected by Daniel meant a blood connection of a kind, but knowing her heart beat now because his own life was in her veins gave Jayne the weirdest feeling. No doubt River would feel just as odd about it if she were awake, but no, she slept on, unaware of anything at all it seemed.

“Don’t know if you can hear me, girl,” he said then, being brave this time as he put his hand gently over hers on the edge of the bed, “but I got one thing that needs sayin’ more than most,” he sighed, knowing this wasn’t going to be easy, even if she were sleeping and unable to hear. “Y’know I never felt guilty ‘bout much, but... well, you know what I almost did on Ariel, I know you know 'cause you damn know everything somehow,” he said definitely. “I got stupid, the money was too good, but I won’t be letting that happen again. I’d’ve taken as many bullets as them damn ung jeong jia ching jien sohs would’ve shot at me to stop ‘em taking Daniel outta here. To stop ‘em hurting either of you.”

He stopped then, running out of words that didn’t come easy and getting so mad inside. He hated that devil woman who had come here, the one who had duped and killed his old friend and then come in here threatening the lives of his son and... well, whatever River as to him right now he wasn’t sure, but it was their fault she was in the state she was and Jayne would’ve happily brought down the lot of them if he could.

“Gotta come through this, bao-bei,” he told her, eyes closed as if he was praying to the Preacher’s God or whoever that she would, even though he wasn’t certain he believed in such a thing

Right now Jayne Cobb would take all the help he could get to ensure River survived this. What happened after that he had no idea, and no inclination to think on it. He just wanted her awake and fast, and that was all.


	13. Chapter 13

“Gotta say, mei-mei.” Mal sighed as he stood by River’s bed in the Medical Bay and spoke softly to the still unconscious girl. “What you did was dumb, gettin’ yourself shot up and all, but you made me gorram proud.” He smirked in spite of himself. “Proved yourself a woman and a mother both, and I am damn proud to have you on my crew,” he said, putting his hand briefly over hers as he smiled down on her like a doting father might. “Now I ain’t sayin’ as I understand this, whatever it is ‘tween you and my merc. Ain’t sayin’ I much approve neither, but you come through this and... well, you get yourself awake little woman and come get things in order with your boy and your man,” he told her definitely. “Like I say, don’t rightly understand what you see in Jayne but-”

“You ain’t the only one,” said the man’s own rough voice from the doorway and Mal turned to see both him and Daniel stood there, the boy with his father’s hands upon his shoulders.

“She’s gonna be alright, ain’t she, Pa?” the kid asked, eyes fixed on River’s still form.

“You go tell her she damn better be,” said Jayne, giving the boy a light push forward, as he held Mal’s gaze that hadn’t let up yet.

“He’s a good kid,” the Captain said simply. “She’s a good woman too.”

Jayne only nodded his agreement, unsure as to whether what was being said now was some sort of warning, a giving of approval and permission, or maybe a little of both. What the Cap’n said was true enough, he had an incredible little family here in this room. A boy that’d shoot a gun for him, a woman who would take a bullet for the their son. Jayne never had an idea he could feel like this about two other human beings, and the confusion it brought showed on his face as he looked past Mal at River and Daniel. The Captain saw it but said not a word as he patted his merc on the shoulder and walked away, leaving the odd little family alone at last.

“And you have to get better,” Daniel was telling his mother as Jayne sat down on the chair beside him.

Deciding to be as brave as he had been the last time he was here, he held onto River’s hand again, watching her breathing in and out, urging that slight movement to never cease. He silently begged her eyes to open and her lips to speak, even if only for her to drive him as crazy as she sometimes seemed by tellin’ him he had a girl’s name and such.

“Uncle Simon is worried for ya, ‘cause he loves ya,” Daniel told his Ma. “and I love ya, and so does Pa.”

That last part caught Jayne’s attention more than any other, his eyes shifting from River’s unconscious form on the bed to his kid perched on the seat beside him. Daniel felt him looking and stared right back with a smile on his face. He wasn’t a reader like his mother, he didn’t sense things quite the same way, but he was borne of these two people and even at his young age understood love when he saw it.

“Ain’t you gonna tell Ma how much you love her?” the boy checked, as Jayne opened and closed his mouth like a landed trout.

Say he loved her, that seemed like the stupidest thing he ever heard in his life. Course, he’d been considering what these weird feelings were he was gettin’ for the girl, but his kind didn’t go spouting off words like love and all. Fancy folk like the Doc maybe did, but not real men like Jayne Cobb. Still, the boy’s eyes were pleading and what he wanted him to say would be no lie, he realised, as he opened his mouth to speak. He was spared the trouble of sayin’ such words as Simon suddenly strode into the Medical Bay.

“You two will have to leave, I have tests to do,” he said sharply, and Jayne wondered that he’d gotten any sleep despite being sent to his quarters for rest by Mal many an hour ago.

He himself had trouble just closing his eyes, for each and every time he did, he saw River takin’ that bullet, heard the awful crack of the gun and saw the blood spill out onto the floor of the cargo bay. If Simon was suffering from a similar situation, Jayne could understand entirely why he was tired and snappy. Still, he wouldn’t stand for it for long.

“How’s she doin’, Doc?” he asked evenly, mindful of starting a fight in front of Daniel.

“I’ll know when I’ve done the tests!” Simon snapped again, volume rising as he slammed a drawer shut, his back still to the merc.

Anger rose inside of Jayne, the like of which would usually lead to him knocking a man to kingdom come, or shooting his legs out from under him. Here and now, he couldn’t react like he usually would. River’s care mattered, Daniel’s opinion of him mattered, and Simon had to matter since he was close to River himself.

“We’re goin’,” he said gruffly, encouraging Daniel out of the door.

His eyes remained locked on Simon, something the Doc realised only when he turned back around, and was a little startled by the glare he was met with. Still, to his credit, he held the larger man’s gaze as long as necessary until he finally relented and left. As shocking as it was even to his ownself, Jayne Cobb had come to realise that some thing’s were more important than mindless violence.

* * *

Mal was a little surprised to find Inara in the galley, since she usually confined her tea making and such to her own shuttle. As if she knew what he was thinking, she explained herself immediately.

“The power is out in my shuttle.” She smiled, as she reached for a second cup and poured hot water and leaves into it. “Kaylee says she’ll have it fixed within the hour but I had a sudden need for oolong,” she admitted

“You know you got free reign on this boat, Inara,” Mal told her with a sigh as he sat down heavily in the chair at the end of the table.

Inara watched as the Captain rested his head in his hand, looking more confused and tired than she’d seen him in a long time. Asking him to share his troubles with her might be ill-advised, and many times before such conversations had ended in yelling. Still, Mal didn’t exactly have many people he could talk to, and Inara refused to believe he could deal with everything alone, even if he said as such.

“These are trying times,” she said, bringing the two cups of tea over to the table and placing one before the Captain.

“Thank you,” he said, leaning back in his seat and contemplating the Companion as she sipped at her own drink without saying another word.

He knew she was waiting for him to tell her what his problem was, and she knew he didn’t really want to share, hence the reason he had only thanked her for the tea and not said a word about her comment on the hard times the crew were going through.

“Startin’ to get how Jayne feels about his boy,” he said at length, causing Inara to arch an eyebrow. “Played Daddy for Kaylee so long, then River came along... figured her brother’d take care o’ her but...”

“But you feel protective of her.” Inara smiled. “She is part of this crew now, her and Simon and Daniel. Its natural you should care for their welfare and-”

“Care more for folk not shooting each other on my boat,” he cut in sharply, rolling his eyes at his ownself when he realised he may have affronted the lady before him with his interruption. “You really think it’s gonna work out better if I let Jayne and River... be a Jayne-and-River,” he said awkwardly, not liking to think about it at all.

“I doubt very much you could stop them now.” Inara shook her head slightly, replacing her tea cup onto its saucer. “You see how he is with her, so strangely gentle and caring. She might very well be the making of him,” she considered, as Mal peered thoughtfully into his own tea before practically throwing it down his throat and thumping the cup back onto the table.

“It’d be different if she was older and if she was... if she knew her own mind,” he said, not really knowing how else he was supposed to say it without calling her crazy, and that Inara would not like.

“You know there are times when she is in complete control,” the Companion considered as she picked up the tea cups and rose from the table. “In any case, love is rarely about the head, only the heart.” She smiled almost sadly as she moved into the galley, putting the cups into the sink. “If love were sensible or appropriate things would be so much simpler. It is rare for two people to be so lucky as to find themselves so alike in status and age and all other factors that situations can work out perfectly.” She sighed, hardly thinking about what she was saying or to whom she was speaking.

She hadn’t noticed that Mal had moved whilst she was distracted by her own thoughts. He now stood before her, leaning on the opposite side of the counter, staring down at her with a look in his eyes she’d never seen there before.

“With love so rare and special,” Inara continued, words coming out in an odd whisper that she couldn’t place as her own voice, “only a fool would let it go unspoken,” she said, moments before Mal’s lips covered hers.

* * *

“Hey,” said Kaylee from the doorway of the Medical Bay, the little wave and odd smile showing she was nervous to be here still.

“Hello.” Simon nodded once as he turned to glance her way, before going back to running checks on River.

Kaylee couldn’t imagine how he was hurting, to see his blood kin in such a state. She got awful upset over any of her crew bein’ shot up ‘cause they was good as kin to her, but it couldn’t be exactly the same. She so wanted to be there for Simon, to comfort him and love him and... This wasn’t so much the time and place for such things, and Kaylee knew it. That didn’t mean she didn't think about it all the same.

“How's she doin’?” she asked of River who lay sleeping silently still.

“As well as can be expected.” Simon sighed as he bustled around the Medical Bay, as if he feared that stopping would cause something awful to happen. “I’ve lowered her medication to allow her to begin the process of coming around,” he explained. “She needed to sleep, to let her body heal, but I don’t want to leave her under any longer than is necessary.”

“She’ll be back with us soon the.” Kaylee smiled as she moved tentatively towards the bed, gently brushing a lock of dark hair back off her friends face. “That’ll please Jayne and little Daniel.”

“It’ll please me!" Simon snapped, slamming a fist on the surface before him. “I’m her brother, does everyone forget that?!” he yelled, clearly angry at the thought.

Sure, Kaylee hadn’t meant no harm with what she said, and the Doc ought to know it just the same as she did. Unfortunately, Simon wasn’t exactly thinking straight right now and for good reasons.

“Course we don’t forget." The mechanic shook her head. “But Simon... y’know, you’re family now. I know you and Jayne ain’t ever gonna love each other like brothers or nothin’ but you gotta try,” she urged him, as she watched all the fight go out of him, his fists releasing and arms going limp by his sides. “You see how much he cares about River,” she said carefully, mindful of setting him off all angry again.

“How can he care about her?” he asked, looking across at first River then her. “Kaylee, he made it very clear from the beginning he did not want us on this ship,” he said with a sigh as he washed up and rolled his sleeves back down.

“Things are different now,” Kaylee explained what he should already know when it came to his sister and Jayne. “What with Daniel and all, it made the two of ‘em see each other a different way.”

Simon considered her words and hated it because he knew she was right. River had become somewhat enamoured with the lunk-head that was Jayne Cobb, and he was being surprisingly tender with her this past while. He’d hardly raised his voice at all in front of Daniel or River to his knowledge, and he’d fought hard for the sake of his child. The way he was around River these past few days since her injury, there was simply no doubting he cared for her, and yet Simon could not allow it to be true. He couldn’t see his precious little sister end up with a muscle-bound idiot like him, he just couldn’t!

“No.” He shook his head definitely as he braced himself against the side counter, glaring at the wall. “There is no way that ape is capable of loving my sister, and River could never love him,” he said, expecting Kaylee to argue with him.

She had in fact opened her mouth to do just that, to tell Simon that Jayne wasn’t the awful person he’d make him out as, and that River was old enough to know her own heart. She did not get a ahcnace to say any of this as another voice cut into the conversation, startling both Simon and Kaylee both.

“They do love,” said River’s voice, a soft hoarse shadow of its usual self as her brother and friend both spun to look at her in astonishment. “Love each other.” She smiled. “Love eternally.”


	14. Chapter 14

“And you’re sure there’s no pain?” Simon asked his sister again as he checked her over, re-doing his tests, desperate to ensure her comfort and thrilled to have her awake at last.

“Simon, you fuss too much.” River rolled her eyes, making Kaylee giggle some. “She is fine, she feels... warm and fine.” The brunette smiled as she turned her face to the ceiling and sighed.

“Nevertheless, I still want to finish my tests,” her brother told her, excusing himself to go and find something he needed from his room.

Kaylee’s eyes followed his moving, and when she turned back around she was startled to find River now lay on her side, staring at her with a grin on her face.

“What?” the little mechanic asked, smiling herself off the back of her friends infectious look of happiness.

“Simon’s a boob.” River sighed. “He doesn’t see, so you have to make him look,” she told Kaylee. “Just like I did.”

“I don’t know what you’re talkin’ about,” Kaylee obviously lied, a blush rising in her cheeks as she played with the edge of the blanket that covered River and the bed she lay upon.

“In terms the mechanic has to understand,” the reader humoured her, despite the fact they both knew her friend already understood exactly what she was trying to say. “Velocity is mass times acceleration.” She smiled.

“Well, what does that have to do with me and Simon bein’... closer?” she said awkwardly, as River rolled her eyes.

“Accelerate your mass towards his!” she said with amused frustration. “And kiss him when you get there.” She laughed, eyes dancing with fun as Kaylee’s own went wide as saucers at the very suggestion of her throwing herself at the Doc that way.

Course she’d like to, she just didn’t think she should. Mostly it’d be nice if’n Simon made the first move, but River was his sister and knew him better than anyone. If she thought Kaylee needed to be the one to act first, maybe she should. Hell, she was gonna, the very next time she saw the man too.

“Maybe not the very next time,” she mumbled as he strode in the door and her nerve went. “Awful glad you’re back with us, River,” she said in a rush as she carefully hugged her friend and then bolted out the door. “I got work to do, I’ll see ya later”

“Is she alright?” Simon asked his sister, wondering why Kaylee might be acting so strangely all of a sudden - she’d been fine when he left.

“Buhn dahn ghuh-ghuh.” River sighed, falling back against the bed with a thud. “Genius doctor needs genius sister to teach him everything.” She shook her head, as Simon ran all the tests he felt necessary.

He seemed not to hear her or chose not to respond as he concentrated on his pointless work. River knew she was going to be fine already. Muscles, flesh, and skin would take time to fully heal, and she would always bear a mark where the bullet had entered her body, but for the most part she was healthy. She had so much more yet to face, tougher trials she saw ahead but spoke nothing of to her brother or anyone. It would do no good, fate had decided her path would be this, just as it had picked out Jayne as her future companion, long before Daniel had existed, long before either of them had come to be in their present forms.

“Simon, I think you’re needed,” she told her brother suddenly, and he turned from his spot on the other side of the Medical Bay now to look at her.

“Needed?” he echoed. “Do you see something, River?” he checked. “Is somebody hurt?” he asked, knowing that although she saw a hundred frightening images from the past as well as her own imagination, she was a reader of feelings, people, and emotions too.

If there were an injury on board or something bad was occurring, there was every chance she was seeing and feeling it

“She hurts, Simon,” River told him, with not a hint of panic in her tone or looks, only sadness. “She wants to know you feel like she does, that you feel at all, heart beating like the rhythm of the engine.” She smiled, knowing he understood her even if the whole idea of what she was saying made him uncomfortable.

River knew what she was doing. A little encouragement from her would put Kaylee and Simon on the same path, the one that would lead to kisses, smiles, and wedding bells. A happy family, just like her own.

“Ma!” Daniel called happily as he suddenly bolted into the room.

Simon almost changed his mind about leaving when he saw Jayne coming in behind the boy, but the look that River shot at her brother soon had him changing it right back and leaving the odd little family alone.

“My brave soldiers.” River smiled, pulling herself up to a sitting position as Daniel flew into her arms and hugged her tight. “Lights in the dark. Brought me back,” she said, glancing over her son's head at Jayne who looked awkward as hell. “My something to fight for.”

Jayne would be touched by her words if he were the kind to get sentimental. Unfortunately, he really didn’t know how to handle what he was feeling or the way she was looking at him and talking to him right now. Dammit it was easier to talk to the woman when she was sleeping, and yet having her awake gave Jayne the best of feelings inside, to know she wasn’t going to slip through his fingers just when he’d come to realise how special she really was. Dealing with his emotions the only way he knew how, Jayne let out his measured frustration on River.

“Gorram stupid thing you did, girly,” he said, just the right side of angry so as not to upset her too much. “Taking that gorram bullet like you did.”

“Gorram had too, for our boy,” she told him, stealing his words and angry expression for all of a moment before she smiled again. “Mother's instinct, mother's love,” she said as she softly stroked Daniel’s hair.

“We missed ya, Ma,” he told her, practically bouncing on the spot. “We love you, and we were awful afeared for ya.”

“Rivers never stop flowing,” she assured her son, planting a kiss on his forehead, “or listening,” she told Jayne with a sly look that told him he wasn’t going to get away with anything around her.

All that stuff, spilling his guts like he had while she slept, she’d heard it all somehow. She knew how he felt about her without him ever telling her outright. Honestly, that didn’t seem like too bad a thing to the man who wasn’t half so good with words as he was with actions.

“Er, need to talk to ya Ma, son,” he told Daniel, who looked from mother to father. “You run along, er, see what the Preacher man's fixin’ for dinner,” he urged him, turning the boy towards the door. “You can come back and see your Ma soon,” he promised, and though Daniel wasn’t thrilled at leaving, the look he shared with his mother told him this was necessary.

He felt things as she did, saw things others could not see. His parents had to be alone right now, because this moment would seal their family together forever. That was all Daniel could ever want, and so he ran along to find Shepherd Book as he was told, leaving River and Jayne with only each other to face.

“He sings like you.” She smiled dreamily as she stared after the boy.

“Ain’t never sung nothin’ to you,” Jayne snapped a little too harshly as he pulled over a stool and sat himself beside her bed.

River giggled slightly as his misunderstanding of her words.

“When I slept, felt your words like a song,” she explained with a contended sigh as she stared at him. “Felt everything you felt, returning feelings like waves, bouncing off walls.” She smiled. “An echo - you to me, me to you,” she gestured between them, and though Jayne had some vague idea what she was trying to say, he really wished she used words that made more sense.

“You’re gonna have to knock some of this here riddlin’ on the head if we’s gonna...” he said with a vague wave of his hand that didn’t really mean anything, but he couldn’t find the words to explain either.

“If we’re gonna, what?” she prompted, serious expression making Jayne wonder if she meant it for a moment, before a devilish smirk took over her face.

“Dammit, girl, you know what I’m gettin’ at,” he complained. “‘Specially if’n you heard me before,” he said, dropping his eyes to the floor, caught between shame at admitting feelings that ought to make him less of a man, and genuine worry that she might just be playing him around and not want them to be together at all.

“A girl’s name but a man’s pride,” she said, catching his attention once again. “A man’s awkwardness for feelings.”

“Now, see here, I ain’t got no problem bein’ a man,” Jayne said definitely, getting a little too in her face considering. “I can fight, shoot, and all as good as any other fella in the gorram verse, better even, but-”

“But you’re afraid,” she challenged him, getting as close to him as he was to her

Not many dared to say such a thing to a man like Jayne and those that had the nerve soon lost their life. Somehow when she said it he just didn’t get as mad as he might at others. In all honesty, the only thing he felt at all was that fear she talked about. Deep in his gut, a gnawing worry that if she realised he was afraid of anything she wouldn’t feel the same about him.

“Jayne Cobb never loved. Jayne Cobb didn’t think he could.” River shook her head, a sadness in her eyes as she felt the pain he had been through in his life. “But she knows, she knows he can,” she said, a smile breaking through as she laid her hand on his on the edge of the bed. “She feels and felt, like birds wings, gentle touch,” she said, as she turned his hand over and slid her own into his palm. “As careful with her as with other delicate women in his life,” she said as his fingers closed carefully around her smaller hand, “like Vera,” she added with a smile, but Jayne wasn’t so happy about that.

“That ain’t the same,” he quickly told her, but her finger on his lips silenced him in an instant, as she looked seriously into his eyes, a definite sadness back in her own.

“Weapons both,” she said darkly. “Is and will be, all the same. Need you to take care of us,” she told him solemnly, as her finger moved from his lips, hand skimming his cheek as she brought it to lay with their already entwined fingers on the edge of the bed.

Jayne frowned hard as he tried to make sense of anything River had just said, but came up blank. All this talk of weapons and such, from one so small and delicate as her. Jayne could not make head nor tail of her ramblings

“You don’t make no sense,” he said, almost as if he’d only just realised it.

“Get used to that.” River giggled then, back to her ownself in a moment, as lucid and girlish as she’d ever been. “Earth that was had a saying,” she said then. “Love conquers all.”

“So I hear.” He nodded once, letting the dark riddles from before fly by without too much thought, since she seemed happy too. “Never much understood it myself, then saw you take that bullet for the boy and I...” he faltered, a little angry at himself for not being able to better explain. “I must’ve gone gorram crazy,” he said frustratedly. “You got in my damn head, girl!” he accused her, though his gentle grip on her hand remained just that, and the fire that ought to have been in his eyes was barely present.

“Nope.” River shook her head. “Got in your damn heart,” she declared, “but not today, long ago. Destiny wrote it,” she explained, and though he would have liked to have argued with such garbage, Jayne couldn’t do it.

There was too much he couldn’t explain since the Tams had come aboard Serenity. Every time he had a chance to shop them to the Alliance and get himself a reward, every time he’d come close to getting River and her brother out of his life, something had happened. Whether a conscious decision on Jayne’s part or the fates putting the kibosh on an otherwise damn fine plan, he’d never been able to shake her. River was always there, and somehow with him more than anyone she seemed to know what he was thinking. It was like they was connected, different to anybody else on the ship, though he couldn’t figure why. Then when Daniel arrived, another thing to tie the two of them together... Well, Jayne Cobb wouldn’t ever admit it, but River and her crazy-ass destiny theories may not be quite so whacked out after all.

“Er, gonna tend to ya while you get fit,” he told her when he realised he’d been silent and thoughtful too long. “Take care of our boy and... what?” he asked when he realised she was looking at him with the weirdest grin on her face.

“ _Our_ boy.” River smiled brightly still as she explained her reason for it. “He finally said it.”

He rolled his eyes at that but smiled none the less, unable to help it as her own expression appeared to be contagious.

“Easy to remember now since everything’s gotta be ours, I guess.” He shrugged like it was no big deal that he’d said it, but it meant the world to the girl that felt she had finally come home.

“Ours will be good and bad both, but ours will be ours always now,” she said, sounding more like a riddle than ever, still Jayne couldn’t be mad at her.

What she said made enough sense for him to agree with her. There were always going to be bad patches as well as good times, whether they was together or not, but they always had each other now, and that was kind of a nice feeling to the lonely merc, and the girl who had been in a dark tunnel too long. Her journey wasn’t over yet, this she knew for sure, but there was a light at the end of that tunnel, and it seemed Jayne Cobb was the one holding the lantern.


	15. Epilogue

“I think she’s bored alone in there,” River declared, on her knees in front of Zoe’s chair, her ear pressed against the warrior woman’s pregnant belly.

“Well, hopefully she’s gonna come out of there and be with all of us soon.” The mother-to-be smiled, just a little embarrassed at the spectacle River was making of the both of them in front of half the crew.

“Two more weeks,” the girl insisted as she got to her feet. “I’ve told you many times now,” she reminded both Zoe and the rest of the assembled group in the galley.

It was true, the reader had spoken, way back before even Zoe herself had known she was pregnant. She had given the date she believed would be the baby’s birth date and had stuck to it this whole time, despite the fact her own brother’s medical training told him she was most likely at least a week wrong.

“Reckon Zoe’d wish you were wrong, mei mei,” said Mal from the kitchen as he and Inara finished off the dishes together. “Faster the little one makes an appearance, faster she’ll like it, I figure. Eager to be fussin’ the child already.”

“I think you’ll make a wonderful mother, Zoe.” Inara smiled.

“I’m going to help,” River enthused, nodding a little too wildly. “I can teach you everything about being a mother.”

“First off, you wanna concentrate on your learning ‘bout bein’ a wife,” Jayne told her with a smirk, coming in through the door and catching the tale end of the conversation.

“Husband has no complaints so far,” she said with an almost wicked look as she went into his arms and kissed him soundly on the lips.

The rest of the crew had got more comfortable with the couples public displays of affection by now, after all it had been almost a full year now since River had taken a bullet for her son, forcing Jayne to face up to his feelings of the girl. Theirs was not and would never be a conventional relationship, but it was happy and solid none the less. They’d muddled through just fine for a while, though life was never too simple with River’s violent outbursts and crazy ramblings that put in regular appearances. Jayne would often be the only one to calm her, or Daniel sometimes who was never afraid of his mother no matter what she said or did.

It was a while later that the crew had discovered the secrets locked in River’s head, her purpose in the ‘verse. Miranda had been a hellish battle, and it was a miracle that the two youngest members of the crew had done the most fighting and yet survived. Within days of the adventure Serenity’s crew could’ve lived without, a peace came over the ship and its people. The harmony they’d only just begun to find before was very real now, with Mal and Inara realising they could stand to be apart no longer, and Simon having finally given in, admitting his own feelings to Kaylee.

River had seen it all coming, everything that occurred from bad to good and all. Perhaps the only genuine surprise she’d gotten was from Jayne. Somehow even she had not known the ring was coming, the promise to love and honour her, the wish to make her his wife. As onboard preacher, Shepherd Book may have been somewhat surprised by the request to marry the odd couple, but was none the less pleased to do so. He had not seen River look so happy from the day he met her to this, and Jayne had been changed for the better by becoming a family man too. It was strange how well the role of husband and father both seemed to suit the man who before now had only guns and whores for company.

“That boy of ours still playin’ at pilot with the little man?” he asked his wife, regretting his choice of words just a little when Zoe glared at him over River’s head.

“Yes, my husband is still teaching your son to fly the ship,” she said, as she got up from her seat with a bit of an effort. “For a boy of not even ten, I think hes’ putting Wash to shame,” she admitted, as River giggled.

“Smart like his mother,” Jayne said proudly.

“And strong like his father,” River told him in similar tone. “ _Our_ boy,” she declared with a smile.


End file.
